Displaying the Greatness of God in Your LifeParaugs

One helpful exercise for determining your personal mission and fixing your priorities is to come up with a “without” list—a list of things without which you cannot live. In other words, a “necessities of life” list. To do this, begin with your list of “wants.” Then:

• Delete any sinful wants.
• Pray over remaining wants.
• Set boundaries for yourself.
• Prioritize among competing “neutral” wants.
• Scale down expectations or the means to those expectations.

Once you’ve determined your “without” list, the next step is to create your “work” list. This work list will help you devote energy to objectives and goals. To start your work list, first write out a single goal at the level (or sublevel) on which you want to work. Goals need to be on TARGET: tangible, adjustable, realistic, generative, explainable, and trackable.This kind of integrated living is part of redeeming the time during these evil days (Eph. 5:16), for there is no post-death opportunity to repeat life.

The intentional life works itself out in the responsibilities of life under the lordship and glory of Christ. We ought not be fighting against air (1 Cor. 9:26), randomly and purposelessly. We ought to keep our spiritual fervor, serving the Lord (Rom. 12:11). I covet for us Moses’ prayerful perspective on work found in Psalm 90:17, “May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands.”