Stay Fresh!

Psalm 92:12 -14
12 the righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a Cedar of Lebanon, 13 planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. 14 they will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green.

What are you doing to flourish? You get up in the morning and you read in your Bible you say a prayer, (this is a good thing) go to work, you come home, play with the dog, eat some dinner, watch some TV and go to bed.

Does this sound like your routine or is there something more? What are you doing right now to grow not just in your faith but in your life? What challenges you?

What is your plan for personal growth?

I am sure like the rest of us you received an education and you were told what to think but never taught how to think?

When that question was asked of me the other day I thought what I listed was a plan. But what I listed was activities, I read in my Bible, I go on Quest and I minister to men.  Those are activities, none of what I listed is an actual plan for growth. Studying something, reading self-improvement books and setting goals CED classes.  Do I have you thinking now?

If nothing changes then nothing changes

In the book by James Allen “As a Man Thinket” Allen wrote,

“People are anxious to improve their circumstances but are unwilling to improve themselves; they therefore remain bound.”

I have often caught myself thinking I’d like to be better at this or I wish I could do that. Those are just thoughts no action. For the most part I have not really done anything up until four weeks ago.

A man approached Jack Nicklaus one time and said I want to be as good golfer as you. Jack Nicklaus said, no you don’t, and the man said, yes, I do. And Jack said, no you don’t. And the man said, why do you say that? And Jack said, because you want to be as good as me, but you don’t want to put the work in to be as good as me. That work is hitting five to ten thousand golf balls a day that’s what I do to be great.

I must be honest here personally I have just been doing enough to get by for decades.   I don’t have a growth plan, but I am working on it. Things are changing in my life. I have started by reading several John Maxwell books. One is called how successful people think another one is called the 21 irrefutable laws of leadership. The other book that I’m reading is the 15 invaluable laws of growth. All of John Maxwell’s inspiration comes from the Bible.

I have seen these books for years, but I’ve always looked the other way, and something happened 4 weeks ago when my wife was on Quest during my quiet time. The growth plan is coming together, and things are changing for the better.

I want to encourage you right now if you don’t have a personal growth plan to look into this.

Be Blessed