When you’re employed with any company for any amount of time, one of the first things you learn about is its quote-unquote “best practices.” Typically this list will include practices that help determine and enable the company’s overall success.
When you think about, maybe we should treat our personal relationships with God similarly. No, I don’t mean treat it like a business.it’s anything but that! What I do mean is that we ought to apply this “best practices” idea to our everyday lives with God. It surely can’t and won’t hurt to try it at least! Truly, it can serve as a checklist of sorts to ensure we are doing everything we can to enable and encourage success in our lives just like Fortune 500 companies who practice this idea!!
• Pray always – “Pray without ceasing,” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
• Study God’s Word daily – “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth,” (2 Timothy 2:15).
• Always rejoice in the Lord – “Rejoice evermore,” (1 Thessalonians 5:16).
• Thank God for all He has given you – “O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever,” – (1 Chronicles 16:34).
• Confess ALL of your shortcomings – “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness,” (1John 1:9).
• Live God’s faith – “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen; But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:1, 6).
• Keep all of God’s commandments – “And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments,” (Exodus 20:6).
• Be strong through God – “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord,” (1 Corinthians 15:58).
• Tell everyone in your circle of influence about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ – “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen,” (Matthew 28:19-20).
And truly I’ve merely scratched the surface with this list. It is in NO way an exhaustive list. So, here’s what I suggest to you. take these few practices and apply it to your life. I encourage you to expand the list as you see fit! We’re still in the midst of beginning a new year, so this is such an absolutely perfect time to implement some new resolutions.
These are goals to you can strive with all your might to maintain – more so than any “exercise three times a week” or “read more books” resolution you’ve made and most likely have broken all within the first two weeks of 2006! Trust me on this one – it will be so worth it – your life will never be the same!
Again, I urge you to apply these practices to your own life. By implementing these “best practices for your life,” you’ll become so strong in the Lord and a stronger and more effective Christian! Begin today to make the most of the rest of 2006!!