Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “A life that matters”
Our Bible verse for today: “How long will you stay in bed you slacker? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the arms to rest, and your poverty will come like a robber, your need, like a bandit.” Proverbs 6:9-11 (HCSB)
Our thought for today: “Just get started.”
Recently I was reading about a theory the author called “The Art of the Start”. His point was that you cannot finish what you do not start. You will never successfully achieve anything if you don’t take the first step of starting it.
But starting is only the first step. You also have to stick with it. It’s certainly true that you will won’t finish something that you never started to begin with, but it’s equally true that you’ll never finish it if you give-up along the way. So when it comes to living life to the fullest, really living in ways that are significant and fulfilling, you have to have a plan to get started, and you have to have a plan to keep going.
The single biggest impediment to being successful at anything is procrastination at starting it to begin with. Far too many people are afflicted with the Scarlett O’Hara syndrome, “I’ll think about that tomorrow.” Or more precisely, “I’ll start it tomorrow.” That becomes a repetitive trap that tends to go on and on. The way to avoid it is to give yourself a start date and stick to it. Start it today! Whatever it is you want to achieve, take the first step today. And then take another step tomorrow, and the next day, and the next.
That then leads us to the second biggest impediment to being successful – giving-up. Many people start something with the best of intentions but then they give-up along the way. They walk it out for a few days or even weeks, but then they fall away. Often it’s because the ultimate objective they’ve set for themselves seems so big and so far away that it appears unattainable. That can be discouraging.
The way to overcome that obstacle is to break your goal down into easily achievable mini-goals. Then have a daily plan to achieve the mini-goal. A college degree is earned one class at a time, one credit at a time, one assignment at a time. Your goal for today is to attend class today, turn in the assignment for today, and learn your lesson for today. Then do it again tomorrow, and the next day, and the next one. The day will come when you will be crossing the stage to receive your diploma and there will be no more classes.
The way to lose 50 pounds is to eat right today, and then again tomorrow, and to do your work out for today, and again tomorrow. The way to achieve anything is to first start it, and then to stick with it. You start it by simply starting it. You stick with it by focusing on achieving your goal for each day and then just walking it forward.
It’s true that you cannot finish what you do not start. And you also cannot finish what you give-up on. So whatever your goal for 2017 is, give yourself a start date and then give yourself daily goals to help keep you going.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 