fail to plan, plan to fail…

the very first recorded words of JESUS, HIS first public words were these when HE was twelve years old, HE said, “I must be about MY FATHER’s business.”  that is what i call working with a purpose. at twelve years old, HE could say, i must be about MY FATHER’s business and HIS last words on the cross were, it is finished.  it’s like bookends in HIS life.  I must be about MY FATHER’s business and it is finished.  that is working with a purpose.

paul in the book of philippians says there, this one thing i do.  not these forty things that i dabble in but this one thing i do.  he worked with a purpose. 

and the bible says that that is the starting point.  proverbs 13.6, living bible, a wise man thinks ahead; a fool doesn’t, and even brags about it! 

what’s he saying there, he is saying that if you fail to plan, you’re planning to fail.  you are planning to fail.

successful people make daily preparations.  proverbs 21.5 (niv), the plans of the diligent lead to profit...

he is saying that if you want to score touchdowns, you’ve got to have a game plan.  diligent people plan their work, they have a purpose.

many people in the middle of a crisis say, i’ve work so long, i’ve worked so hard for what, for what?  that is a person who did not clarify his purpose at the very beginning. 

work with a purpose.

now in each of these points i have a little evaluation here.  you can just evaluate yourself.  how clear are my work goals?  if you say, i don’t have any goals, it’s just a job, then give yourself a one.  it’s just a job. 

if you say, well i make preparations every day, then give yourself a five.  if you say, i have a written down goal for my life, career goals, life goals, whatever, give yourself a ten.  folks, only five percent of the people in the world have a written down goal.  work with a purpose.

just a thought from the front porch…