Ten years ago, I had just moved into a new home, and had no idea how to begin to put the house in order, much less take on the task of decorating. Let me just say that I'm not much of an interior decorator, so the house stayed in a state of chaos for months.
I would often babysit my nephew Logan, who then, was 10 years old. Logan was, and is, a most creative and entertaining kid. He brought many blessings and joy with him each time he came into my home. One day, Logan came up with the bright idea that since my last name begins with "F", we should decorate the house with things that begin with the letter F: "Fish, Feathers, Flowers, and Fun". To this day, my house is full of fishy, feathery, flowery, and fun decorations, which actually, look pretty good.
This method of labeling in order to keep a theme, started me thinking that there are certain things, and certain people I need to remember daily, or at the very least, a few times a week. Keeping the "F" model, I decided the following seven "F's" would be my priorities in life:
1) FAITH. Absolutely my first priority. "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see"(Heb. 11:1, NIV). Clearly, there is no hope without our faith in our Heavenly Father. We must always place our lives in His hands, and believe that He has control of our lives. What am I doing to strengthen my faith in my Creator, and to grow closer to Him?
2) FAMILY. Right up there with our Lord is our family. Too many verses on family to quote here, but I acknowledge that our Father has given each of us unique talents and gifts. What am I doing to nurture those gifts and talents? Am I striving to keep in touch, not with my immediate family, but also with my extended family, who have played, and still play, very important roles in my life?
3) FRIENDS. Now that my family is grown and gone, I realize how important my friends are. They are my second family. "A friend loves at all times..." (Prov. 17:7 NIV). Baby Boomers (those born between 1943 and 1964) have an average of three to four friends. Friendships take time and energy. What am I doing to cultivate deep friendships? Am I taking time from busy day to check on friends? Am I lifting my friends up in prayer?
4) FINANCES. I really have to work hard on this one! "On the first day of every week each one of you is to put aside and save, as he may prosper, so that no collections be made when I come." (Cor. 16:2). Six weeks ago I started attending Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University classes for the 3rd time in 15 years, and I still can't get it right! Am I being a good steward over my money? Before I make a purchase, do I think; "is this a want or a need?". Am I going to be able to leave an inheritance? Can I stop splurging???? I don't need another pair of shoes!
5) FITNESS. I struggle with keeping fit, as I am sure most people living in the USA do too. We're all tempted to Supersize food orders, fall to advertising gimmicks, and worse of all, become stagnant over time. Am I eating healthy? Avoiding fast foods and alcohol? Too much sugar? Am I exercising on a regular basis?... "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, ("1 Cor. 6:19).
6) FUN. Last but not least is fun, fun, fun! Although there are not many verses in the Bible that refer to fun (and about 125 of them have a negative connotation), I believe God wants us to have fun as long as we keep Him in the equation. "Discipline is not fun, though later it yields positive benefits - (Heb. 12:11. (MSG). Do I have too much fun? Am I taking time to take a few breathers? When I'm having fun, do I remember to give thanks for the opportunities to have fun?
7) FUTURE. Planning for the future... how am I doing in this area? Am I living day to day, paycheck to paycheck? Am I keeping God as my priority? Acknowledging my family and helping them grow in Christ? Am I cultivating important friendships? Am I being conscious about how I spend my money? How about my health and fitness? And when does the fun begin and end?
Each and every day I try to incorporate those seven F's with my values and morals. Although it is impossible to act them out all at once, reviewing those goals through prayer and meditation, helps me live the life God intended for me, and be the type of Christian I want to be.
Shine on through Him,
~Edie
No comments:
Post a Comment