Growing more like Jesus in 2013

"And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men" (Luke 2:52 NIV84).

For many years I have made it a habit to spend the last week of the year in prayer, meditation and Scripture study. I call it my annual study break. It's also a time to evaluate how I am living life. I want to be intentional about how I live. It's so easy to let the urgent and the maintenance stuff of life fill up my days. I want to know that I have focused on the important.

I have developed a tool for setting annual goals and for self-evaluation that I call my "Luke 2:52 Goals." Reading a description of how Jesus grew in Luke 2:52 motivatied me to want to grow in those same ways. If Jesus grew, than I want to be like Jesus. I want to grow too.

Notice that Jesus grew in four areas. He grew in wisdom, stature, in favor with God and in favor with men. For the benefit of my goal sheet, I list these four growth areas as follows:

1. Mental. 
2. Physical.
3. Spiritual.
4. Social.

Under each category I list several items of which I believe God wants me to focus or where I want to grow for personal reasons. I try not to list too many things. I keep the total list small enough so that it fits on a single page. I usually post it in my church office and home study, so that I can see it every day. 

Under "Mental" I might list: 1) Read a book a month, 2) Learn to play the banjo, 3) Take a course in Latin, 4) Attend a leadership conference, 5) Organize my blogs into book format, 6) Get finances in order...

For "Physical" my list might be: 1) Lose 20 pounds to weigh 185, 2) Workout at the Y three days a week, 3) Get a physical...

The "Spiritual" category might have items like: 1) Read the One Year Bible every day and post a comment about it on facebook, 2) Memorize the Sermon on the Mount, 3) Take a Sabbath day weekly to recharge and reflect, 4) Take two days quarterly and one week annually to reflect and study what God wants of me...

"Social" might include: 1) Take Robin out on a date weekly (Friday night), 2) Be active in a WCC Community Group, 3) Spend quality time with my family (Sunday lunches and Combs family vacation in September), 4) Reach out to and pray for my neighbors (I name them specifically)...

I know that it is God's job to cause me to grow more like Jesus. He is the One who will accomplish it. But I want to cooperate. I want to yield to the Spirit's pull. 

I want to grow more like Jesus in 2013. Don't you?

 

(This article is an edited reprint of a previous garycombs.org entry.)

Comments

[Chris Shelton]

Pastor Gary is a deep well of practical wisdom, which is very much like our Jesus. Since spending a season with him, I've taken a very similar approach to being intentional about my year and to position myself as well as I can for the transformation of the Spirit to continue in my life. So thankful for "heroes of the faith" like Gary, who the Father has given us to imitate as he imitates Jesus!

[Gary Combs]

Thanks for the love, my younger brother and (because of Jesus) my son in the Lord. You are a great encouragement to me!

[Larry's Blog]

Hey! What is your opinion on commercials of all kinds placed on blogging websites?