Slow and Steady

“I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14, ESV) 

We are now into the second month of the new year. By this time each year, about eighty percent have fallen behind on their resolutions and slipped back into old habits. For the Christian, the resolve to read more, pray more, and spend more time with God may have already gotten crowded out with the busyness of life in the 21st century.

Whether setting goals for spiritual, physical, financial, or professional growth, the one word that comes to my mind is determination. Whatever we desire to accomplish requires us to consistently, steadily push forward. Even when our progress may be slower than we had hoped, keep moving forward.

The truth is, things beyond our control—illnesses, family emergencies, or other schedule wreckers—will interrupt even the best of our intentions. But that doesn’t mean we should throw up our hands and just give up. Remember the old fable of the tortoise and the hare? The tortoise won the race not because he was so speedy but because he just kept plodding along. Not fast but steady.

If you are discouraged because you’ve already fallen behind on your spiritual goals for 2024, just keep moving steadily along. There’s still a lot of the year left for you to get back on track and make progress. Ask yourself, “What can I do today to draw closer to God?” Doing whatever you can each day will still get you to the goal. Not fast but steady.

Living for God is a day-by-day walk. It’s important that we become very intentional in creating time in our schedules for the One Who loves us so much. Here are a few suggestions on how we can grow in our relationship with God—day by day.

1. Make space for the Lord in your life. We don’t “find time” for God. We “make time” for Him. Otherwise, something will always crowd Him out. Be deliberate.
2. Resolve to spend quality time with the Lord. Put it on your calendar. Set an alarm. Hang a do-not-disturb sign on your door. Do whatever it takes to carve out that alone time with Him. Find the time of day that allows you the most quality time to read and meditate on His Word and to spend time in prayer?
3. Be intentional in inviting the Lord into your day. This is the way to start your morning. Ask Him to be a part of everything you do that day. If you aren’t comfortable including Him in all your plans and activities, perhaps it’s time to examine your priorities and pursuits.
4. Express gratitude for His many blessings. Recount your blessings and then thank Him for all He has done. Gratitude should always be a part of our daily conversation with the Lord. Don’t ask Him for anything until you thank Him for everything.

Living for God is a mindset. Colossians 3:2 tells us to, “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth” (NKJV). If we keep our focus on the heavenly, we won’t worry about the earthly.

Lord, I thank You that You give me strength for each new day. Today I will be intentional in including You in all my plans. Today I will express my gratitude for Your abundant blessings. Today I will set my mind on things above. Today I will push forward, determined to draw closer to You.