Merry Christmas everyone!
I hope you had a wonderful Christmas. We sure did.
I know I am dating myself, but do you remember the “Get Smart” TV series where Maxwell Smart and his trusty sidekick, Agent 99, would solve crimes and deal with international intrigue? If not, you can look it up!
In my update last week, I shared about how I needed to open my heart to God for me to be obedient to His will for me. Today I want to talk about how we can “get smart” and make S.M.A.R.T. commitments when we are following directions from God.
This reminds me of something my grandfather used to say when I was a kid. He said, “We grow too soon old and too late smart!” Back then, I thought the saying sounded kind of funny. Now I look in the mirror and realize how true that is!
How do we grow S.M.A.R.T. in our walk with God?
Making S.M.A.R.T. Commitments
Several of us are about to embark on making daily scriptural commitments to God, and this acrostic has been extraordinarily helpful to me. You might have heard it in a business seminar on setting smart goals. Here, it helps us when seeking to obey God’s directions. To do this we want to make it:
S--Specific
If our commitment is vague or too broad in scope, it becomes hard to get a win, so the more specific, the better.
M--Measurable
If our commitment can’t be measured, we won’t know if we’ve succeeded in fulfilling it.
A--Attainable
If our commitment is too big, we get discouraged when we fail. Every big goal needs to be broken down into small, achievable steps that over time might reach what we can’t attain in a day. Small steps over time can get us over the mountain.
R--Relevant
If our commitment is not related to the scripture verse we are trying to obey, we can get unfocused on the main reason we are doing this—to be obedient to God’s directions every day.
T--Time bound
If our commitment doesn’t tell us when we plan to get the job done, we can put it off and procrastinate. Giving ourselves a deadline helps us take action at the appropriate time.
An Example of a S.M.A.R.T. Commitment
Let’s look at Colossians 3:19 and see if we can make a S.M.A.R.T. commitment. The verse says:
Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.
So let’s take a first stab at this and come up with an action that I want to take to be obedient to this verse. I could say this:
My action: Starting today, I want to love my wife more.
Let’s run it through the checklist.
S—Is it specific? No. What specifically am I going to attempt to do to love her? Not clear.
M—Is it measurable? Not really. I’m just going to try to love more.
A—Is it attainable? It’s too vague to even know if I actually was successful.
R—Is it relevant? Yes, it is at least relevant to the passage.
T—Is it time bound? No. There is not a deadline for me to know when to evaluate my commitment.
Take a Mulligan
Let’s try another run at this and see if I can do better.
My action: By God’s grace, on Tuesday when I get home around 6pm, I will find Nola and express my love for her. I will hand her a single red rose, give her a kiss, and tell her how much I appreciate her.
S—Is it specific? Yes. I can clearly see what I get to do.
M—Is it measurable? Yes. I even know how many roses and what actions are involved!
A—Is it attainable? Yes. I can do it.
R—Is it relevant? Yes, it is relevant to the scripture that directs me to love my wife and not be harsh with her.
T—Is it time bound? Yes. I need to do it on Tuesday at 6pm.
Get S.M.A.R.T. with me in January
You, YES YOU!, can join me and others in our January experiment. Use these links to register, get the January MAPS template and join us on the zoom call.
Let’s Go for it when the Ball Drops!
With only a few days left before our Zoom call this Sunday, I’m getting excited! I pray that what we do together will help all of us get some spiritual momentum when the ball drops at midnight on January 1st.
As always, I love hearing from you, so keep those cards and letters coming!
Love y'all!
Steve
PS…If you are wanting to get a final end of year gift to us, remember that anything postmarked by December 31st counts towards 2024 giving.
You can give through the link below, or checks can be sent to:
Daybreak International, 11628 Oakmont St., Overland Park, KS 66210