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Tackling The Swing Set

Many joys and benefits come with fatherhood. Having a little one tackling you the moment you step foot in the door after a long day at the office. A snuggle buddy who falls asleep on your chest, exhausted after a full day of play. An excuse for watching Shrek for the 1,247th time.

There’s also a special responsibility all dads share around birthday or Christmas time: being in charge of assembling the latest and greatest toy, bike, or swing set that will bring a smile to your child’s face. My last such task was building a kiddie swing set for my two daughters. Don’t let the word ‘kiddie’ fool you – there were more pieces, nuts and bolts than I could count. I could have built an ark with all the lumber at my disposal. Luckily, the 12 pages of directions were all in English, which unfortunately isn’t always the case.

I used the picture covering the box as a point of reference: a picture of Tommy and Suzie grinning from ear to ear because their daddy was clearly a tool whiz who put the thing together in no time. I, on the other hand, just learned what an Allen wrench was. I felt completely lost. How would all these random pieces and parts eventually end up looking like that picture staring back at me? At times I felt tempted to cut some corners to speed up the process. It was hard to see, in the midst of my assembly, how tightening this little bolt or following each tedious step was critical to the entire structure being sound.

Just like the kids’ swing set, when it comes to our relationship with Christ and the forming of our One Word into our character, ‘some assembly is required.’ The My One Word project is about learning and embracing something new. As you develop measuring sticks to track progress and growth, it is critical to have a point of reference to the person you are trying to become. What does someone who is patient, kind, loving, forgiving, (insert your One Word) look like? What qualities do they possess that you seem to lack? How can you learn more about these character traits? Who in your life most exemplifies the quality of your One Word? Have you ever asked how living out this character trait seems so natural to them?

Being a fool when it comes to tools, I quickly realized the need to call in reinforcements who were more skilled with the hammer, wrench and screwdriver than I. If not for my brother-in-law, the swing set would have been an unstable structure that would inevitably collapse, sending one of my daughters to the hospital. While we assembled the swing set together, I had the opportunity to ask questions, learn some tricks of trade and at times just sit back and watch. Over time, I gained more confidence in what I was doing.

During this upcoming week, we want to encourage you to establish learning goals. Begin this process by asking yourself a question: in order to grow, what do you need to know? As you study your word, you will begin to notice areas where learning needs to take place. These are starting points for your learning goals. Where can you seek out the necessary information to better understand the values and heart behind your word? What books or articles focus on the subject of your one word? What scriptures should you study? Who do you respect who could serve as a mentor?

The point of learning goals is to pursue growth and knowledge of your word. Take the time necessary to become a student of your word.

• Read Colossians 1:9-11.  In order to grow through your One Word, what do you need to know? In what areas do you seem to be lacking knowledge when it comes to the heart behind your One Word?

• What steps do you need to take to gain the knowledge necessary for growth to take root in your life?

Are you looking for a way to keep your word in front of you all year long? Register for a My One Word account! One of the key features of a MOW account is an online Word Journal that allows you to capture your thoughts to reflective questions like you see above. You can go back at any time to read your completed journals to see how God has been moving in your life through your word in 2010.  If you already have an account, the questions from this blog have been posted to your Word Journal — log in to your account to start your Word Journal today!

Celebrate The Steps

One of the great advantages of My One Word is the way it helps me see my growth as a process.  When I think about my word and what I hope it will help me become, I get excited about the possibility that this could actually happen.

But it is not just a goal.  The point of focusing for an entire year is to remind you that it is a process.  It is easy to get overwhelmed by everything that remains unchanged and all the work that needs to be done.  But we shouldn’t forget to celebrate.

Celebrating is an act of faith.  It is a declaration of progress and not simply a destination.  We don’t celebrate our birthday because it is the end—we celebrate it as a point on the journey.  And you should celebrate these points.

The problem is that, too often, we have not identified these points.  We don’t know what to look for, so we wait until the end to celebrate. And that is too late.

Our word reminds us that we are in process.  Each step along the way is an opportunity to celebrate that progress.  We are celebrating what God is doing in us.

If you struggle with discipline, celebrate the fact that you sat down and read or exercised or journaled.  Our steps tend to remind us that we do not do enough, so our thoughts become clouded—we feel pressure to continue, or feel regret that comes from thinking, “Why didn’t I do this yesterday?”

If you struggle with your temper, celebrate the fact that what you were able to take a deep breath and deal with something that would have sent you reeling last month. And it was fine.  You didn’t lose anything by not losing your temper.

Patience, kindness, worry, gossip, stress….whatever your struggle, make sure to celebrate your progress.  Celebrate the fact that you believe that God is working in your life. This is faith.  You are declaring that you believe that what He has begun He will complete. And until you are complete, you are in process.  Do not wait until the end to celebrate—that’s too late. Celebrate the steps.

We’d love to hear your response to the following question: Read Philippians 4:4. One way we can encourage each other is by celebrating steps of growth together. As you look back on your My One Word journey to this point, what step do you most need to celebrate?

Stuck In A Rut

I’m stuck in a Writer’s Block rut. I sit at my computer hoping to become inspired, but find I have been staring at the blank screen longer than I’d like to admit. I have tried everything: getting up to get a drink, taking a short walk, chatting with friends, visualization techniques, listening to music… I have even invented a ridiculous number of uses for paperclips. But still, I have nothing. It’s time to admit it: I am STUCK.

The same thing sometimes happens spiritually, too. How do we recognize when we’re stuck, and how do we become unstuck? Answering this question is critical in keeping alive the transformation process of My One Word rather than giving in to the rising difficulty and resistance.

According to 2 Peter 1:3-10, when we’re stuck we’re blind to three things: our identity in Christ, God’s provision for our growth and the transformation process. Verse 3 shows us that we possess everything we need for godliness. Christ himself provides a godly life (Galatians 2:20). The Holy Spirit, living within us, guides us in truth. We simply need to remind ourselves of the promises (v.4) that come through the grace of Christ.

Eventually, those initial changes brought by choosing our One Word fade. Struggles arise and many of us grow frustrated. Resistance sometimes leaves us shell-shocked and, in more devastating cases, we lose hope. We lose heart. By taking out our heart, the enemy immobilizes us.

How do we handle this lack of hope and gain traction and, ultimately, momentum with our One Word? The first—and most critical—step is to cling to the truth that in Christ we are whole, made alive and set free. This truth changes everything, including our perspective on feeling stuck. We won’t depend on ourselves to produce change anymore (Galatians 3:2-3). When we understand that true change only occurs within, we’ll resist the urge to fix the external and allow the Holy Spirit to change our hearts. This is never easy.

If we’re honest, we want character without being stretched, growth without risk, and lessons without scars. In a way, we become satisfied with being stuck because we love comfort and security. Something in our heart avoids having to admit that the biggest problem we face isn’t our circumstances, but the person staring back at us in the mirror.

That’s why Peter says in verse 5 that we must make every effort to add to our faith. We need to believe the real challenge of Christian growth is personal ownership. We need vision to create a path out of our rut. We have to identify our desires and figure out why we’re stuck in the first place. We combat getting stuck by protecting our hearts (Proverbs 4:23) and transforming our minds (Romans 12:2). Our thoughts shape our words and actions.

We need to become so aware of our flaws that they can’t hide anymore. Once we identify them, we need to give them to God. When doing so, we begin breaking patterns that put us in positions to make poor decisions. Instead of pursuing something to fulfill a shortsighted desire, we pursue things that produce the internal change we really need. Prayer shifts our focus from what’s directly in front of us onto the actions we need to take for growth to occur.

No matter the struggle, no matter the situation, no matter how stuck we’ve been, if we know Christ, then there’s hope. The hope for us who are stuck is that what God has begun in us He will complete (Philippians 1:6).

• What situations are you feeling “stuck” and meeting resistance in living out the qualities of your One Word? What do you believe is keeping you  “stuck”?

• How have you dealt with times of discouragement or has it gotten the better of you?

• Often times in the midst of being “stuck” we know what the next right steps of faith are, but are unwilling to act.  What do you believe is the next step you need to take in living out your One Word?  What actions or changes do you need to put into place to make this change a reality? How would you measure growth in this area?

Are you looking for a way to keep your word in front of you all year long? Register for a My One Word account! One of the key features of a MOW account is an online Word Journal that allows you to capture your thoughts to reflective questions like you see above. You can go back at any time to read your completed journals to see how God has been moving in your life through your word in 2010.  If you already have an account, the questions from this blog have been posted to your Word Journal — log in to your account to start your Word Journal today!