- SHACKLE BREAKERS
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- Eight Pillars to focus on for 2024
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms.
Are you hearing your calling?
Your calling is significant… Don’t lose sight of that.
In your walk with Christ, understanding your divine calling is a journey of profound personal significance. It's not just about the roles you play; it's about embracing the unique path God designed specifically for you. This isn't merely a part of your faith—it's at its very heart.
Realize that you're crafted by God with intention and purpose. Your calling reflects this divine intention, turning your faith into visible actions in your daily life. It's about living out your identity as a child of God in the most authentic way.
Consider the talents and gifts you possess. These aren't random; they're entrusted to you by God, meant for service and to glorify Him. Using these gifts is a key part of your spiritual growth and an act of worship.
Pursuing your calling involves courage and faith, especially when the path isn't clear. Yet, it's in these moments of trust and dependency on God that you experience profound spiritual growth.
There's a deep joy and fulfillment in aligning with what you're divinely wired to do. Your calling goes beyond personal satisfaction; it resonates within your community and serves as a beacon of hope and faith to others.
As you wrap up 2023 and contemplate your calling in your journey with Christ, look at it as a living aspect of your faith. It's about finding your place in God’s story and glorifying Him in every step.
Embrace this journey as you enter 2024, and watch how it transforms your life, making you all that God intended you to be.
Let’s talk about Pillars as you plan your 2024…
As we continue the focus on Leaning into your calling in 2024, in this issue I wanted to focus on what I call the Eight Pillars. These pillars are simply areas of our lives that are important to consider as we put together a plan for the new year.
The ones I include are Business/Career, Financial, Health, Household, Personal Development, Relationships, Spiritual/Faith, and Social/Community.
Are there more than 8? Maybe… Do I have to have something for all of them? Nope…
This is just a list I put together over the years to help me not forget what’s important for me - so feel free to have different ones 😀.
Take your time with this exercise - the goal is not to just get it done. The goal is to spend time with each of these areas and to consider what’s important in them. Then to use them as a building block in our plan for the coming year.
It may be beneficial to take a break after each one - if you did only one a day, you would be done in just over a week.
To get started I list out the eight pillars in this format
PILLAR NAME
BIBLE VERSE:
KEY QUESTION:
SMALL HABIT:
Pray about them as you consider them - ask God to draw attention to things he would have you consider.
It’s ok to write a lot of things here, so I recommend doing it on a computer. But when I am done I whittle it down to the format above.
Think less is more… Focus on what is the most important.
We only have so much time in a day and only so much energy.
Some helpful things
Where or how do I find Bible verses for these?
I use Open Bible’s topic list - it is searchable and indexed - https://www.openbible.info/topics/
How do I come up with the key questions?
When I am considering each of the pillars, I ask myself, “What should I be considering for this pillar?” Then I am simply brain-dumping questions. Then I come up with one for the key question.
For example for Personal Development, I might ask these
What are my personal weaknesses, and how can I work on them? How can I nurture my creativity or hobbies? What books should I be reading? etc.
What is the small habit thing?
I am a fan of James Clear’s Atomic Habits. Basically, he states that we try to create habits that have too much friction to complete and that if we focused on simpler habits these would lead to actually growing the ‘larger habit.
Here’s an example of what I mean. Let’s say you want to start jogging - saying that you want to jog 3 days a week is too big of a habit. What if it was something like - every day before I go to work I’m going to leave my running shoes and sweatpants on my bed so they will be there when I get home, or when I get home I am going to put on my sweatpants and running shoes and wear them for 2 minutes - I don’t have to go jogging - I just have to put on the clothes. If I decide not to jog, I can take them off after 2 minutes.
What are the Eight Pillars? An example.
Here is an example you can use to get started - this is a mix of a start of my own (I have not done mine yet for this year) and some ideas of what it might look like.
BUSINESS/CAREER
Bible Verse: "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men." (Colossians 3:23)
Key Question: What professional goals do I want to achieve this year, and how do they align with my overall life purpose?
Small Habit: Dedicate 15 minutes each morning to prioritize and plan your workday, focusing on tasks that align with your career goals.
FINANCIAL
Bible Verse: "The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty." (Proverbs 21:5)
Key Question: How can I improve my financial health and move closer to my long-term financial goals?
Small Habit: Start tracking daily expenses or set a weekly budget review. Consider automating savings or investments, even in small amounts.
HEALTH
Bible Verse: "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own." (1 Corinthians 6:19)
Key Question: What specific health goals do I want to set for myself to enhance my physical and mental well-being?
Small Habit: Introduce a simple daily activity like a 10-minute walk, a short meditation session, or substituting one unhealthy snack with a healthy option.
HOUSEHOLD
Bible Verse: "But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." (Joshua 24:15)
Key Question: In what ways can I improve my living environment to make it more harmonious and reflective of my values?
Small Habit: Implement a '10-minute tidy-up' routine each day or a weekly decluttering session focused on one small area at a time.
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
Bible Verse: "And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man." (Luke 2:52)
Key Question: What skills or knowledge do I want to acquire or improve upon to grow personally?
Small Habit: Dedicate 15-30 minutes daily to read, listen to a podcast, or practice a new skill. Consistency is key.
RELATIONSHIPS
Bible Verse: "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins." (1 Peter 4:8)
Key Question: How can I strengthen my existing relationships and build meaningful new connections?
Small Habit: Set a weekly goal to reach out to someone you care about with a call, message, or meeting. Practice active listening in your interactions.
SPIRITUAL/FAITH
Bible Verse: "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 3:18)
Key Question: How can I deepen my spiritual life and live more in alignment with my faith?
Small Habit: Incorporate daily prayer or scripture reading into your routine, even if it's just for a few minutes, or join a weekly faith-based group.
SOCIAL/COMMUNITY
Bible Verse: "Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." (Galatians 6:2)
Key Question: In what ways can I contribute to my community and build a sense of connection and belonging?
Small Habit: Volunteer once a month, join a community club, or attend local events. Small acts of kindness in everyday interactions also foster community spirit.
Final Thoughts…
Do not become overwhelmed by this exercise - take them one at a time - do what you can.
For someone just starting this process - even if you just wrote some things to focus on for each area would be a great start.
Do these Pillars make sense for you? Do you have others or would you drop or change any?
The goal of this exercise is to simply remind you of areas that we might want to focus on in the year ahead.
I pray that it is helpful to you!