It's easy to put off working on things that don't seem urgent. Enjoying spiritual growth can be one of those things that we put off till "one day" in the future.
Keeping up with social media can easily take precedence over keeping up with inspirational reading of the Word.
The need to focus on physical health can easily eclipse a focus on spiritual health.
The tyranny of the urgent can distract us from the more long-time importance of our relationship with the Lord.
I know this is true for me. And I benefit from a routine of daily and weekly attention on spiritual growth.
But why put off experiencing joy? With a turn of a page, "one day" has turned into day one. A new set of weeks and months lies before us. What will we do with our time and energy?
As a way of ramping up and making some change plans, I am intrigued with a set of questions (slightly modified) posed by a blogger I subscribe to. Each question deserves thoughtful contemplation. One answer might be enough to make a world of difference.
"What could make me happier?" It could be simply doing more of something good and less of something bad. Or reorganizing something that has gone haywire.
"What concrete action could bring change?" The more specific and time-bound change plans are, the more likely they are to be sustainable.
"Am I better at "don't-ing" or "do-ing"? Which motivates me more, stopping something unhealthy or focusing on starting something healthier?
"Am I starting small enough?" Since being introduced to the "tiny habits movement," I've found that making small changes and reinforcing them frequently leads to big changes over time.
"What is my accountability plan?" Will I invite someone to hold me accountable, or will I track my progress on my own?
Spiritual growth is important, in fact urgent. To grow spiritually is to experience heavenly joy today that can continue to build indefinitely until one day when we experience the fullness of spiritual life. This can change everything about worldly life, in spite of challenges such as 2020 presented us. The sooner and the more we can learn to grow spiritually in our brief life in this
world, the more we can embrace and share joy with others, and the better prepared we will be for the continuation of our life after our bodily death.
Daily life is full of “opportunities” to experience the joys of spiritual growth. I pray that "one day" becomes "day one."
