3 Steps To Getting Back On Track

23 posted on March 23, 2009

POSTED IN: Authenticity, Blog Posts, Makes You Think

What do you do when you’re running low on creativity and inspiration? How do you get yourself back on track? I’m going to let you in on a little self-administered therapy I’m prescribing for myself. These are three things I came up with that I need to work on in my personal life. And I can all but guarantee that chances are, you’re struggling with at least one of these three things yourself.

This is a lot easier said than done. For some reason we do a far better job keeping our fruits and vegetables fresh than we do our own bodies. It’s easy to keep pushing off that afternoon rest in favor of another project. It’s easy to excuse the extra hours at work and neglect playtime with our kids or one-on-one time with our spouse.

Next week we’re heading down to Florida to spend a week in the sun. I need that. I need time away where I can recharge and refocus. It’s important for me to be intentional about my down time if it’s going to happen. I’ve already seen what happens when I don’t allow for times of physical rest and renewal.

Paul talks in 1 Cor. 9:27 about the importance of personal spiritual conditioning in order to prevent disqualification. A spiritually full life is a life that God uses and speaks through. I’m going to be honest here, my spiritual conditioning has been in the toilet lately. I’m embarrassed to say that personal time with God and spiritual growth hasn’t been where it should be.

Why is it that in our busy lives and schedules, our most important priorities (walk with God, relationship with spouse/children) are the first to suffer? There is just no other way around it, if we want to be effective for God, successful in our jobs, and fulfilled in life, we simply must invest in regular, daily spiritual refreshment.

“Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Prov. 29:18). This is just as true for our personal lives as it is for churches and organizations. When we have lost track of where we’re going, there will be no end of people and circumstances in our lives to pull us this way and that.

Having clearly defined vision for our personal lives is essential for staying on track. And I’m talking about a lot more than just New Year’s Resolutions or a list of things you want to get done this week. We need to check our daily activities and associations against our long-term vision for what we want to accomplish for God and then eliminate anything that is sidetracking us.

Ok, here’s the embarrassing thing about these three things, none of this is new to me. I know that I need to be investing in times of physical and spiritual refreshment. I know that I need to deepen my walk with God through times of regular quiet time. And I know the importance of vision and direction in life. Unfortunately, you can preach this until you’re blue in the face and still live your life the complete opposite.

What activities, pastimes, people, or commitments don’t line up with your vision and purpose in life?
What things are limited your potential to accomplish more for God?
When was the last time you spent an extended period of time away recharging yourself away from the stresses and distractions of life?
What personal priorities are out of order?
Is your life marked by regular, prioritized quiet times with God?

What about you? Which of these three things are you struggling with the most right now? What are you doing about it?

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This entry was posted on Monday, March 23rd, 2009 at 9:04 am and is filed under Authenticity, Blog Posts, Makes You Think. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

8 Comments

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March 23, 2009

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1 patty said:

Uhm, all of them!! I so needed to read this posting this morning. I’m with you in that it’s not new – your list. I totally agree they are all important, but sometimes they do get out of whack. Thanks for the reminder!! And I appreciate you adding the actual “action items” – that in itself helps to refocus.
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March 23, 2009

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2 Beth Taylor said:

Great topic! My husband and I are currently taking a break from pastoring because of burnout. The funny thing is we took regular vacations (and tuned out everything…totally unplugged), guarded our days off each week and tuned everyone out but each other and our boys, we had family meals daily with no phone interruptions, we both had regular quiet times with God every morning early, and we stayed focused on the vision God gave us for our family, His church and our lives. What we didn’t understand was taking time to process the hurts that life and ministry bring. You have to take time to grieve for losses and heal from hurts. And unless you live in a cave, you will get hurt. So…great post. Life lived abundantly takes constant focus and careful attention to the condition of your soul.

Beth Taylor’s last blog post..Sexy Church
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March 23, 2009

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3 joseph said:

Staying fresh…completely burned out. Although vacation helped so hopefully I can get on track.

joseph’s last blog post..Simon Says
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March 23, 2009

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4 Brunettekoala said:

Like all of them. Struggling lots at the moment.

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March 23, 2009

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5 BJ said:

Ditto on all of the above…….

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March 24, 2009

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6 Pete Wilson said:

I struggle with staying fresh. I need to be more strategic with that particular area of my life and creativity.

Great post!
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March 25, 2009

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7 sexrev.org» Blog Archive » Wednesday Weekly Wire…reminds me of This Week in Jayzworld! said:

[...] Feeling Low on Creativity and Inspiration…3 Steps for Getting Back on Track [...]
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March 25, 2009

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8 tam said:

struggling with all of them. like, bad.

when i read the “get away” part…i almost cried. we need that so desperately as a family right now. dont know that we’ll be able to any time soon…but its needed.

spending time with God, other than chit-chattin throughout the day and weekends at church? not enough. not near enough!

ive got a lot to think about and consider. lots or re-prioritizing in order.

thanks, brad. truly!

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