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Teach me to number my days

As we head into a new year, many of us pause to set goals—things we want to change, improve, or achieve. For some, this is a meaningful rhythm; for others, it feels like a futile exercise.
Personally, my results have been mixed. I’ve successfully planned and tracked certain habits, but other "lofty" goals ended up being little more than well-intentioned wishes. However, as I grow older, I find a deeper desire to “number my days”—to truly make them count (Ps 90:12).

 

Beyond Self-Improvement

Most New Year’s goals fall into familiar categories: healthy living, new skills, financial planning, or career excellence. While these are all worthwhile, many of us feel a "tug" that there is more to life than just self-improvement. We want our days to be filled with God’s purposes.Yet, "God-driven goals" often feel vague. Unlike a savings goal or a fitness plan, spiritual growth doesn't always have a clear "arrival" point.

The Trap of Passive Growth

As believers, we know that God is the one changing us. We trust the promise that “he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion” (Philippians 1:6). However, we often fall into a "stumbling forward" approach to spiritual formation. We fear that being too intentional might make us "works-based" or self-righteous. We end up sitting back and letting spiritual growth "happen" to us rather than being actively involved in the process.

Grace vs. Effort

The late Dallas Willard offered a perspective that impacted my view on this:
“Grace is not opposed to effort. It is opposed to earning. Effort is action. Earning is attitude.”
Grace is the fuel for our effort, not a reason for passivity. When we stumble, the Holy Spirit doesn’t just commiserate with our failure; He offers a strong hand to pull us up and push us toward the goal. True spiritual growth anticipates the power of God to move us past failure and into victory.
This requires absolute humility. We don't boast in our own strength, but in our weakness, so that Christ's power can be seen through us (2 Cor 12:9-10). We NOW LIVE by faith, surrendered to the one who loved us and gave Himself for us (Gal 2:20).

 

Our Framework for Growth

As we move into this year as a church community, I want to offer three "pillars" to help guide your development and personal goal setting. Our long-range goal as a church  is to be a community that is spiritually stable in a way that is useful in our community - The Multi-Tool Church! This will take time, and we need to prioritize deep-and-wide growth over quick-and-spectacular growth. Everything that follows is merely my suggestion to get us moving in the same direction. We will all have different ways of setting personal goals, but this is a simple guide to help you keep these pillars of spiritual growth central to your development

Remember: God made you unique. Your growth won't look exactly like someone else's. As you look at these pillars, keep your goals simple, clear, and consistent. The grace of God will be displayed through you according to the faith God gives you to live it out (Rom 12:6). In aspiring to learn from others faith, don’t be them! Be you as you learn and grow!


The Three Pillars of Spiritual Growth in Becoming a Multi-Tool Church


Pillar 1: Surrender to Jesus
The Goal: Lordship
The Shift in Lifestyle: Letting go of control and inviting Him into your daily rhythm.

Pillar 2. Guided by the Word
The Goal: Truth
The Shift in Lifestyle: Moving from human opinion and preference  to biblical conviction.

Pillar 3. Empowered by the Spirit
The Goal: Presence
The Shift in Lifestyle: Learning to lean on His strength rather than your own effort.

Be content to stay in your lane, let the Holy Spirit lead, and let's see what "good work" He completes in us this year.  I’m so excited to be on this journey of seeing Christ shaping us to be more like Him. I hope this helps you as you grow. Happy New Year!