Personal Goals as I Follow Jesus

Genesis 12:5b-7a

…[Abram and company] set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there. Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. The LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your seed I will give this land.”

Today we focus on the “seed” language of the Abrahamic covenant. The Apostle Paul quotes from Genesis 12 about this seed of Abram being a singular form of the word (see Galatians 3:16). He further identifies this singular seed as Jesus Christ.

That seems odd since the seed of Abraham includes more than one person. But follow Paul’s train of thought: A few verses later he says, “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” The seed is a collective unit – much like the body (of Christ) is a unit made up of many parts and yet is one body. All who believe that Jesus is the Christ become part of Abraham’s collective seed – united in the ONE seed Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 3:15

Disciples, or followers of Jesus, have put their hope in Jesus as the Christ, believing that Jesus died to forgive them of their sin and restore them to God. As a fellow disciple, the Apostle Peter encourages us to “always be ready to share the reason to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have in Christ Jesus.”

We address this in our discipleship covenant, agreeing to set goals about being intentional in our life of following Jesus. In short, these goals revolve around being in God’s Word regularly and being in loving relationships with God and people with an eye toward growing in discipleship (particularly discipleship-oriented groups).

Here it is in first-person language:

Journal Prompt:

I am willing to set goals to be intentional
regarding my life as a follower of Jesus.

Initial _______

Prayer

Father God, help me become more intentional about following Jesus and Your ways. Help me value connections to You and my brothers and sisters in Jesus and to invest my time and energy accordingly. Amen.

Micro-Meditation

Psalm 23:1-6

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Read the versus of the Psalm.

Mark the words or phrases that catch your attention.

Meditate: talk (or better, write) with God about those words. Ask him to impress things upon your heart and mind; expect responses.

Teaching or Command of God

1 Peter 2:11

Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your souls.

The Promise

Jeremiah 6:16

This is what the LORD says: Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, mark where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.

Devotional Opportunity

Go do something restorative for your soul, even if it is literally to do nothing.