From His Heart - Week of January 10
WRITING YOUR SCRIPT FOR 2014
"Then He touched their eyes, saying, 'Be it done to you according to your faith.'" Matthew 9:29
Anyone who knows me very well knows that I love the character Rocky Balboa. Recently, I watched a documentary on the challenges and victories of the Rocky series. For a fan like me, it was a fascinating inside look at one of the most successful movie sagas ever made.
As many know, the original Rocky script was written in 1975 by an unknown writer and two-bit actor named Sylvester Stallone. Stallone created the character, starred in the movie, and launched his career from obscurity to stardom. It stands to reason that one of the keys to Stallone’s greatness with the role of Rocky was due to the fact that he wrote the script.
WHAT SCRIPT ARE YOU WRITING?
The New Year is always filled with freshness and opportunity. It is like a mulligan in life. Listen, if you don’t like where you are right now in your journey, if you sense your job is a dead-end, if you are feeling trapped in the drudgery and monotony of a life that is so far below what you had envisioned, then it is time to rewrite your script.
As we kick-off 2014, let me encourage you to ask yourself these three important questions:
1. Where am I now? This question requires gut-level honesty. You must face the brutal facts and look soberly in the mirror so you can rightly assess where you are in life. Where are you on the satisfaction scale? Where are you as far as making a difference in your world for Christ? Where are you as far as being on track to become the best “you” possible? Where are you as far as using time wisely or wasting time foolishly? It is impossible to properly move forward until you precisely see where you are.
2. Where do I want to be? This is where the script writing comes into play. Nothing really changes for us until we start to write out who we want to be and what we want to accomplish in the Lord. As you look within, what are the passions and gifts God has placed in your heart? What excites you and gets you motivated? If you could have any job in the world, what would it be? Bottom line, what are the desires of your heart? That is a key question because the Scripture says, “Delight yourself in the LORD; and He will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4).
3. How am I going to get there? The train that takes you from point A to point B with the Lord rides on the two rails of bold faith and simple obedience. Because God is a big God who can do anything, we need to believe God for big things. Stop settling for adequacy when He wants to give you abundance! The blind men in Matthew 9 were healed because of their faith. They believed He was able … and they asked for something big. In addition to bold faith is simple obedience. Obedience is putting the Lord first in daily life. It is seeking His kingdom and His righteousness. It is walking in the light, saying an enthusiastic, “Yes, Lord,” to His commandments which are given for our good, not our detriment. You and I will never get anywhere with Jesus if we refuse to obediently follow Him.
I believe that 2014 is going to be the best year ever for all of those who will get alone with God and write the script He lays on your heart. As you put faith and obedience into practice, you will see God change you, grow you, and open doors of greater opportunity and service. Remember God has big plans for you. Get in on those big plans so you can truly experience a Happy New Year!
Love,
Jeff Schreve
www.fromhisheart.org
P.S. If you'd like for us to join you in prayer, visit us atwww.fromhisheart.org/prayer.
Jeff Schreve is Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church in Texarkana, Texas. He and his wife Debbie have been married for over 20 years and are blessed with three wonderful girls. Jeff began From His Heart Ministries, a radio and television ministry, in January of 2005. This ministry is completely listener/viewer supported. It continues only through the faithful and generous gifts of people like you. Pastor Jeff takes no salary from this ministry. All gifts go to further the broadcast.
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