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 Tanner