Welcome back to Day 2 of THE CLIMB! If you missed yesterday’s BLOG, Click HERE, and you’ll be directed to Day 1, including the pdf worksheet. It’s brief but worth it.
Today, let’s get a little more specific about directing our CLIMB toward our GOALS. Anybody can get busy. Successful people get focused. The world isn’t dying for another busy person. The world is dying for a handful of Jesus Followers that get focused on what the Divine has called them to, equipped them for, and leading them toward. Here’s a little acrostic I’ve heard for years. It’s not original to me, but it is a powerful reminder. You might want to print it and keep it in front of you day by day.
GOOD GOALS – Goals that give you direction, not mere busyness. And they will include significant, daily motivation. Yesterday we talked about prioritization of what matters. You will never be ideal at every level of your life, and you’ll never possess the capacity to focus on the many things that you ‘d like to address in your life all at one time. You can, however, choose to get focused on a few goals that are raised up from what matters most to you, if you look to the right source for direction.
LESSONS LEARNED – Most goal-setting or new year/new you books get our goals focused on the future and accomplishing those goals as fast as possible. I’ve learned this the most painful way – over and over – to tackle goals in that fashion is a recipe for burnout and failure. The past year has a lot to teach us. Take a few minutes and explore last year. Jot down a few great things that happened. Go ahead – Count your blessings! Name them ONE by ONE! Then jot a few things down that are on the other side of that ledger. What are a few things that weren’t so awesome, and you’d be happy not to experience them again? Go ahead, name them and tame them. Keep both of these as a critical element in your CLIMB.
PROPER GEAR – The Promise of Scripture: Joshua 14:10-13 “Now, as you can see, the Lord has kept me alive and well as he promised for all these forty-five years since Moses made this promise—even while Israel wandered in the wilderness. Today I am eighty-five years old. 11 I am as strong now as I was when Moses sent me on that journey, and I can still travel and fight as well as I could then. 12 So give me the hill country that the Lord promised me. You will remember that as scouts we found the descendants of Anak living there in great, walled towns. But if the Lord is with me, I will drive them out of the land, just as the Lord said.” 13 So Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave Hebron to him as his portion of land.
Caleb declared to Joshua that he desired the mountain country where the Giants had been seen. He was confident that with the power of God he would be able to take those mountains. We all have a mountain to climb. God’s Kids will always face obstacles in their lives, but with His strength, we can conquer our mountains no matter how rugged the terrain.
Like me, maybe you feel inadequate to meet the mountains of life. We can learn a few vital lessons from Caleb as he claimed the mountain God promised. Caleb was sufficient for the task, and God provided him with strength for each demand. And God will do the same for you today! You see, you are also sufficient for the task! Get after it!
Caleb’s Confidence Never Waivered. His faith in the Divine wasn’t rocked by circumstances and culture. Listen, folks, if we are going to climb mountains, we need to “man-up” and convey our confidence in the Divine and His ability to get us to the summit.
Caleb’s Strength Never Failed. Caleb claimed the mountain God promised. The divine was and is more than sufficient for the task, and He provided Caleb with strength for each demand. That same God wants to deliver that for you today. The question is, are you ready to put it to use?
Caleb’s God Never Forgot Him. Watch this! God can and God will allow the challenges, hurts, or heartaches in our lives to encourage the lives of others. Jesus walked up the mount to Calvary to bring all of us into victory in Him. He has freely offered that gift of life to all who call on Him. Therein lies the power to climb the mountains of life! Don’t miss it!
So, as we finish today, here’s one last exercise: Write a short declaration that is a written affirmation (mantra) for claiming Confidence in the Divine, the Strength of the Divine, and the Remembrance of the Divine! Here’s a sample that I wrote just yesterday: “I will live today with the courage and confidence that My God is for me. He power is unrivaled, his love is unequaled, and His kids are His treasures. I’m glad that I’m His kid.