2015 Checklist

Did you make a New Year's resolution this year? Typically, most adults make resolutions to be smarter with money, exercise more, eat healthier, and unplug more often.

 (If I had to guess, these are probably pretty close to most college girl resolutions, too!)

 And most New Year's resolutions are broken by about, well, today :)

So may I suggest letting scripture dictate your goals for 2015? And may I suggest that I know just the scripture?

 Starting in 2 Peter 1:3, we read "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness," (NIV). This is where we start: we need knowledge of Christ. Deep, growing, ongoing knowledge. Not the knowledge of someone you knew but of someone you know and continue to grow closer to. That knowledge gives us everything we need for life and godliness. 

 [I've got to pause right here and share my heart: some of you want nothing to do with godliness. You've chosen a college experience that is God-free. And you're okay with that. But I'm not. God called you to a life-changing salvation. And it breaks my heart to know you've rejected all I've taught you, all I stand for, and all I believe. I love you and I pray for you constantly.] 

 Moving on to verse 4: "Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires." 

 God's glory and goodness (verse 3) pave the way for us to receive His great and precious promises. And my oh my, do you need His precious promises in college: they allow you to participate in divine nature (AKA be holy) and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. Now there's a problem among some girls who want God's goodness and glory and promises but who don't want to live holy lives. They continue to dwell in sin, allowing the evil of the world to be the norm. STOP IT. Today. If your life is marked by sinful actions, it shouldn't. God gives you what you need to get out of that. 

 So in 2015, I challenge you to get out of a one-time resolution mindset and instead adopt a checklist based on verses 5-7: "For this reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and brotherly kindness, love."

 I spent some time this morning looking up each of these words in the Greek and reflecting on what they mean and how I should make every effort (verse 5) to make these characteristics not just what I do but who I am:

 faith: belief, with an implication that action will follow. "The faith" is a Christian lifestyle. Is what I believe proven by how I live? If I really believe Christ is who the Bible reveals Him to be, how does that change me?

 goodness: moral excellence. Am I excellent in actions, in my speech, in honesty, and in how I treat other people?

 knowledge: Am I seeking to know Christ more through His Word? Am I striving to be smarter in the Word but also truly understand how to use it for His glory?

 self-control: Can I say no to evil influences? Not-so-bad influences? Fun-but-not-holy influences? Can I choose to say no to my friends, my family, and even myself so that I am saying YES to God?

 perseverance: Also translated endurance and patience. Can I wait for God's perfect plan? Am I willing to wait for His timing for my career, my husband, and my life?

 godliness: Do I strive to love like God? Think like God? Do I reflect God's amazing mercy, generosity, and creativity?

 brotherly kindness: (philadelphia) Not just acting kind. Being kind :)

 love: agape, (which has the best definition), "active love of God for His son and His people as well as the active love people are to have for God, each other, and enemies," (Zondervan Exhaustive Concordance). 

 Verse 5 explained that we were to make every effort to make sure that we not only do these things but that we are these things. Why?

 "For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins," (verses 8-9).

 Because these characteristics, when genuinely applied, make us EFFECTIVE and PRODUCTIVE in our faith, our lives, our relationship with God. We genuinely glorify God. And here's the crazy thing: if you don't pursue these traits, you're choosing to shut your eyes ("nearsighted") to your salvation.

 So I don't have a resolution; I have a checklist. My goal is to look at this list weekly and really seek God in prayer, asking: Do I possess these qualities in increasing measure? (verse 8) And I trust that the Holy Spirit will show me where I'm lacking, where I'm lazy, where I'm overlooking a chance to prove God with my faith and my life.

 You're welcome to take the cute little image I created out of the verses as your own checklist. Print it and put it up in your room, on the front of your planner, or in your journal. Use it as the background on you phone. Memorize it. Paint it. Whatever you do, make it your identity in 2015.

 And let me know when you see your faith increase. I want to shout for joy with you!

I miss y'all so much.

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