Challenge for a New Year - "Is this good for my goals?"

What did you do in 2024 to benefit the Kingdom of God and spread the Gospel of Christ? Did you make a difference in someone's life from the standpoint of faith? If you had been unconscious for the entire year, would there have been a significant difference in the advancement of Christ's cause? In His mission of salvation for all?

In looking back over my past, it occurs to me that there are some years in which I seem to have done nothing memorable!  At least, if I did anything of lasting value for the Kingdom of God, I cannot now recall what it was! Do you have years like that also? I remember the year I was converted and first began to take my place in the ministry of Christ's church as a layperson. I recall the year that I began bringing the children's message during worship. I remember the year I did the Walk to Emmaus, and learned what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. 1992 stands out as the year I was called by God into full time ministry, and being placed into my first charge, Duncan UMC, and the year Bob retired and I received the care of Safford UMC. I think I touched a few lives in Yuma, when I was assigned to Trinity UMC, and of course our work with Casitas de Cristo brought hope and help to 30 poor families, but that was mostly Bob's doing! Retirement and our subsequent involvement with Community UMC, and now Community Church, have brought great joy and a sense of purpose. I think it is not vain to say that the Lord used me to help some people grow in all these places, but there are many years in which my efforts seemed to be mostly for myself, my family, and my own comfort and security.

Perhaps you might say, "Doesn't God want us to be attentive to our own needs? He doesn't call everyone to be a missionary to China, or go into full time ministry! And besides, I am doing more for the Kingdom of God than many people I know!" This is true; we live out our faith in the context of our own personal lives. We are good people, living honorable Christian lives most of the time. And most importantly, we know that we do not merit eternal rewards because of the hours we spend doing "Kingdom Work." But still, something is missing in our lives if we do not regularly engage in ministry of a lasting nature.

The Bible tells us that we are created "in the image of God," having some of the divine nature in us. Part of that nature includes the creative force, and some, I believe, is seen in the human drive to accomplish something lasting in life, to make our mark, to achieve. We want to make a difference! We don't want to die without having had an impact on the world. From King David's Temple to Donald Trump's Tower, from "It's a Wonderful Life" to "Lord of the Rings," this theme has been part of the human story across the centuries. But in our power-based, self-oriented culture, our jobs, income, and leisure activities often take precedence over everything else, and few people seem interested in accomplishing anything of an eternal nature. 

One thing seems pretty sure, you can't hit what you don't aim at! It's very easy and comfortable to just drift along from day to day, taking care of what seems urgent without considering what things are important. This is especially true if we haven't spent time intentionally deciding what things ARE important, and asking ourselves, "Is this action, food, thought, relationship, going to help me achieve my goals? Or is it keeping me from them?" For example, if my goal is to be healthy in my later years, it would be wise to ask myself a question like, "Is sitting on the sofa for three hours helping me to be healthy?" "Would standing up for 5 minutes and walking in place every 30 minutes be helpful?" If my goal is to make a difference in someone's life, it would be wise to ask myself, "Would sending a note to this person help me to achieve my goal?" "Would just thinking nice thoughts about them help me to achieve my goal?" If, like a dear friend says, my goal is to "not be a difficult old woman," will getting riled up at the current state of the government contribute positively to that goal? If my goal is to be a witness for Jesus, what will help me achieve that goal?

I challenge you to make 2025 a year in which you -- and I! -- give some concrete planning to the formulation of real, spiritually based, goals. Let us develop a clear target to aim at, a basis from which we can ask, "Is THIS good for my goal, or bad for my goal?"  And if you would like to be part of a small group that meets together for an hour or three to work on your goals, please give me a call -- 928-246-9062.   

Let's make 2025 a year to remember!   Blessings, Randa