Lord, please help me to change - Judith Couchman

LORD. PI.EAS f. HEL P M E T O CHANG EActually, God didn' t creat e u s to b e jugglers. H e designe dus with one goa l i n mind: t o pleas e Him . Excep t si n muddled u pthe plan—and th e rat race began .Midst th e clutter , though, Go d stil l calls individuals t o on etask a t a time. To Moses : "G o sav e m y people." To th e prophets :"Preach th e truth. " To Mary : "Rais e m y Son." Eve n Jesus focuse don on e goal: t o do th e wil l of His Father i n heaven . And th e apos -tle Pau l said , "Thi s one thin g I do" instead o f "Thes e fourtee nthings I do and chok e on mos t o f them. "While thes e biblica l example s represen t God' s cal l t o life -time tasks , there' s a principle tha t trickle s dow n int o th eeveryday. To achiev e wha t matters—an d t o reall y change—w eneed t o focus.With Pau l w e can say , " I know tha t I have no t ye t reache dthat goal , but ther e i s one thin g I always do. Forgetting th e pas tand strainin g towar d wha t i s ahead, I keep tryin g t o reac h th egoal" (Philippians 3:13-14a) .MPERSONAL CHECKPOIN T1. Ho w ar e yo u doin g a t focusing on you r goa l t o change ?2. Ho w might you narrow and sharpe n you r focus?On developin g focus:GOD'S VIEWPOIN TI do not mean that I am already as God wants me to be. I have not yetreached that goal, but I continue trying to reach it and to make it mine.Christ wants me to do that, which is the reason he made me his. Brothersand sisters, I know that I have not yet reached that goal, but there is onething I always do. Forgetting the past and straining toward what isahead, I keep trying to reach the goal and get the prize for which Godcalled me through Christ to the life above.All of us who are spiritually mature should think this way, too.And if there are things you do not agree with, God will make them clear to34'