Commitments

When I think about where I want to be one year from today one thing I know for sure is that I don't want to be the same person I am today. I want to grow. I want to be more Christlike. I want to love more, grow in holiness, be a better dad and husband, be a better pastor, and be closer to the person that God created me to be.

Unfortunately, those things don't happen without some intentional work on my part. Goals are one way to move from the person I am to the person God created me to be. But  setting goals is only half of the equation. 

I once heard Rick Warren say that we grow by making commitments. I have to commit to do certain things that will move me from the person I am to the person God created me to be.

For the past two weeks I've been thinking about a few simple commitments that I think all of us need to make for 2014. These simple commitments pack an enormous punch.

• Commit to regularly attend and participate in your local church. Stop being hit-and-miss. Your church needs you and you need your church.
• Commit to consistently be involved in a small group. We weren't created to do life alone. 
• Commit to tithe. This one act of obedience will transform your entire life.
• Commit to read your Bible on a daily basis. Pick a Bible reading plan and stick to it.

The thing that makes these small commitments so powerful is that they all have a cumulative effect. Like compounding interest, they build on one another and transform us over time.

What commitments are you going to make this year?