Recently my oldest son asked me to send him a list of 30 principles or life lessons that summarized what I have learned in life. That was an interesting challenge. I worked on it on the trip to India and came up with a few more than that. I’ll share some of them in this blog and others later.
1. God doesn’t need me to do His work, but I need Him for everything that I do
2. The more I grow spiritually, the further I see I still have to go. But that’s OK.
3. Intimacy with God should be our #1 goal in life for only then can we become more like Jesus, which is His #1 goal for us.
4. You can’t evaluate your spiritual worth by how well you use your spiritual gifts. Being able to function well in the Body is far less important than having a growing, intimate relationship with the Head of the Body.
5. Humility is essential for growth, but it doesn’t come naturally or easily.
6. A good wife is truly worth far more than rubies, or anything else we might have.
7. Our first ministry is our family. To repeatedly meet the needs of others before our own family is sinful.
8. Pace yourself. Life is a marathon, not a sprint.
9. Persistence is more important than speed. Never quit, always keep moving ahead (like the tortoise and the hare).
10. The better you know the Bible the more you realize how much you don’t know. It gets better every year!
11. I couldn’t make it without the help of other Christians.
12. Investing time and energy in my health every day is an important principle of stewardship.
13. Learning to really worship is a life-long process.
14. Money is a great servant but a terrible master.
15. Never do anything once you aren’t prepared to do the rest of your life. But don’t use that as an excuse to not do what you should be doing.
16. My hope is in God, I can’t use my family, life at home or things for security. Therefore I must make a conscious effort to stay close to God. I must make a mental choice to enjoy family and possessions but find security in God. I must pray about this regularly.
17. The weaker I am the stronger I am! I must stay aware of my own weakness. I can’t function in my strength but His and I must pray for to always be aware of my total dependence on Him.
18. God’s promises are totally dependable. I must continue to use, claim and depend on them.
Habakkuk 2:4 The righteous will live by faith.
Nahum 1:7 The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him.
As you look at the first half of my list of life principles, what would you add? (Please send them to me, I’d like to see and learn from them.) Can you learn anything from them? Which ones sound especially true to you? I’d like your feedback on this.