Pressing Toward the Goal

Effectiveness in the Christian walk…

"Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do,
forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to things which
are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in
Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:13-14)

While we all resolve to do better in the new year,

nothing is more common than holiday season resolutions that
are abandoned before Spring. Rather than discard the notion of
resolutions altogether though, let's revisit some sage advice on
the topic. In the opening Scripture passage the apostle Paul has penned some of
God's most practical admonishments to us all. Simply applied, these truths deal
effectively with life's past, present and future, and are summarized as follows:

Remember to forget.
If we want to make the best of the present -- in light of God's grace, let's resolve
neither to rest on the laurels of past achievements, nor dwell too long on previous
shortcomings. In God Came Near, Max Lucado writes, "In the cellar of your heart
lurk ghosts of yesterday's sins. Sins you've confessed; errors of which you've
repented; damage you've done your best to repair...but do yourself a favor. Purge
your cellar. Exorcise your basement. Take the Roman nails of Calvary and board-up
the door. And remember...He forgot." In the final analysis, we need a Savior not a
second chance, for "God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but to save the world through him." (John 3:17)

Answer the call.

The most basic question everyone faces in life is, Why am I here? What is my
purpose? Self-help books suggest that people should look within, at their own desires
and dreams, but in The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren suggests our starting place
must be with God and his eternal purposes for each life. Real meaning and
significance comes from understanding and fulfilling God's purposes for putting us on
earth. This manifesto for Christian living affirms a lifestyle based on eternal
purposes, not just cultural values.

Using biblical precepts and principles, Warren amplifies God's five purposes for each
of us, as follows:
1) We were planned for God's pleasure, to offer real worship.
2) We were formed for God's family, to enjoy real fellowship.
3) We were created to become like Christ, to learn real discipleship.
4) We were shaped for serving God, to practice real ministry, and
5) We were made for a mission, to live out real evangelism.

And press toward the goal.

Regardless of whether you share my presuppositions about life, everyone desires to
know that life has meaning, that we have a significant destiny awaiting us, and that
we are accepted and belong in our community of relationships. If you've come-up
empty in your search though, realize that these objectives will only be completely
satisfied in a personal relationship with your heavenly Father, as we stay at the
center of His will.
Dr. John MacArthur affirms that God calls us individually to be saved, sanctified,
Spirit-filled, and ready to suffer for our uncompromising faith in this life. And if we
are careful to pursue the goal of "Christlikeness," the preferences in life are left up to
you. Said differently, "delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of
your heart. (Ps. 37:4)"

In terms of how we meet our goals, my advice wouldn't be complete unless I also
referred to The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, where Steven Covey
identifies seven timeless principles, which characterize effectiveness. These are as
follows:

1) Be proactive - This is the characteristic of self-awareness, as seen in the ability to

choose your response in any given situation. Between what happens to you and your
response -- is a degree of freedom. And in this freedom to choose our response, by
the power of the Holy Spirit we can make choices that lead to growth and happiness.

2) Begin with the end in mind -- This speaks to the goal of "Christlikeness." It
suggests that preceding any physical creation or reality, is the mental image or
visualization of that end. Covey's research supports the idea that this endowment
unleashes the potential to self-actualize regardless of the conditions we are
presented with.

3) Put first things first -- This speaks to the endowment of willpower. For Christians it
can be summarized as "What would Jesus do?" A highly disciplined life that focuses
heavily on important, but not necessarily urgent activities of life, is one characterized
by leverage and influence. Taken together, these first three principles speak to
achieving the type of "personal" success that precedes "public" effectiveness as
follows...

4) Think "win-win" -- This refers to an abundance mentality versus zero-sum gaming

in life. Everything is seen through principles. And as people become increasingly
principle-centered, they love to share recognition and power. This abundance
mentality suggests we have a vested interest in the success of others, which
produces more effectiveness and recognition for everyone.

5) Seek first to understand, then to be understood -- This represents an endowment

of courage balanced with consideration. This capability acknowledges that the root
cause of almost all problems in personal interaction involves self-centeredness -- or
listening without the empathy that advances mature two-way communication.

6) "Synergize" -- This is the endowment of creativity by way of respectful minds

communicating effectively, to produce solutions that surpass original positions. This
acknowledges that most negotiation is positional bargaining, which at best results in
compromise. Synergy however, suggests that "win-win" solutions can almost always
be found to satisfy both parties, affirming (along with the previous three principles)
that "it's more blessed to give than receive" (Acts 20:35). And last but not least,
there's...

7) Sharpen the saw -- This final capability focuses on the concept of continual
improvement or self-renewal to overcome entropy, which represents closed systems
of thinking. This endowment acknowledges that success in life is more a journey
than a destination, as you're transformed from one level to the next "by the
renewing of your mind" (Rom. 12:2).
Being personally invested in a biblical, principle-centered approach to life, is the best
way to realize personal effectiveness. It is also important to note that this paradigm
doesn't embrace just the latest thinking in a continuum of transitory fads. Instead it
inculcates the greatest of biblical wisdom and classic sociological truth ever put into
practice.

In their defining work on this subject Right from Wrong, McDowell and Hostetler
affirm that the Bible is filled with precepts for an individual's faith and practice, for
our good and God's glory. They explain that acknowledging biblical precepts allows
us to apply the principles that emerge. And it's in practicing godly principles that
we're able to experience the Person and work of Jesus in our lives -- as we conform
our attitudes and actions to God's character and nature.

Confirmed by history and tethered to the eternal, biblically based, principle-centered

resolutions meet the test of effectiveness and integrity for individual and societal
advancement. This realization, after years of fruitless trial and error approaches,
spurred a personal awakening in me. And it's on this basis, that I resolve to conduct
myself and engage others.

Happy New Year,

Roy J. Tanner