Reflect. Prepare. Go All Out

I started my ‘Dear Pastors’ series this week on social media as an offshoot from my plea for personal integrity among pastors and since the post, I’ve seen more reasons why such plea is needed.

If you haven’t, take a moment to read them on my Instagram page. It’s NOT a bash on the pastorate (far from it) but a passionate call for us to pray for all pastors in the church at large and a candid challenge to them to live and lead with integrity.

We live in precarious times, with so many spiritual attacks against believers. But we must be on the offensive while guarding our salvation with fear and much trembling — Ephesians 6:10-18, Philippians 2:12-13.

Personal integrity is so key in leadership (more so in spiritual leadership), otherwise so many lives will be wrecked in its absence.

Reflect with thankfulness

But this week, I want to shift my focus as 2020 gradually draws to a close and challenge you to reflect with thankfulness.

It has been a tough year for so many people. Lives were lost. Families were broken. Houses were repossessed. Jobs were lost. Visions stalled. Passions hit rock bottom.

But it wasn’t all bad news. In 2020, lives were also saved. Families were restored. Houses were bought. New job opportunities came. New visions and passions emerged.

When you reflect deeply, you will find reasons to be thankful. You will find that divine providence prevailed over some ‘mess’ you’ve been through this year.

It’s not been all doom and gloom. Find your silver lining and be thankful.

Prepare with anticipation

If 2020 hasn’t given you much to cheer about, you can prepare for 2021 with the anticipation and hope that the days ahead will be better. Much better.

However, the hope of a better tomorrow is wishful thinking and only remains a dream unless you plan, prepare and act on it.

Awesome doesn't happen by chance; it comes to those who are prepared, ready and busy on purpose. Awesome happens to the intentional. Click To Tweet

Part of preparation is to understand where and how you didn’t hit your personal targets this year and develop action plans on how you will be better.

We may not be sure of all that 2021 will bring but we know who holds eternity. Our responsibility is to prepare for awesome and trust that God’s divine providence will do us good.

Go all out

We didn’t see COVID-19 coming our way in 2020. We didn’t foresee the level of chaos we experienced and how the world literally stood still.

When you consider how much time many people have spent at home, it’s just unreal and unprecedented. Unfortunately, many dreams and ambitions stalled as well.

If that’s you, you must resolve to be on the front foot when it comes to your goals ahead.

Don't wait for life to happen to you; attack it, risk it, chase your God-infused dreams. Enough excuses; go all out and all the way. Click To Tweet

Here’s wishing you and your families a wonderful break this festive season. I pray you find much needed rest and return recharged for 2021.

Photo by Cara Fuller on Unsplash.