Kicking Off with PERSPECTIVE 2012

Happy New Year!  2012 has finally arrived!  For many of us, with the new calendar brings new hopes and dreams.  We long to let the past be passed, permanently.

Isaiah 43:18-19 NIV1984

“Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up;
do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert
and streams in the wasteland.

We’re hungry for a new beginning.  Clean slate.  Fresh start.

Psalm 51:7-15  MSG

God, make a fresh start in me,
shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life.

Even though the calendar and the clock do not dictate life change, there is something to be said about the refreshing and exhilarating feeling of a brand new year.  The messy scribbles on our calendars can be tossed away.  A fresh page invites a new perspective and an opportunity to live differently.  To live intentionally.  On purpose.  With passion.  Because in Christ, we can.

We may not be able to change the circumstances of our lives, but we can certainly shift our thinking about trials and blessings into an eternal focus. We have the ability to live different through reshaping our perspective.

Perspective is one of the 5Ps of living intentionally, and it is a wonderful place to start, even though it isn’t first on the worksheet.  As a Christian, God’s perspective ought to be what matters to us most, so getting in step with the Lord, today, is the best first step.

But how do we discover God’s perspective?  It starts with reading the Word, on a daily basis, and taking time to underline or jot down particular verses that leap into our heart.  The Immersed Bible Reading  plan available at More to Be offers a simple but effective way to get into the Word!  Or you can join in Internet Cafe’s pursuit to read the Bible chronologically in a year.

Getting a godly perspective also comes through paying close attention to what the Lord is saying through the Holy Spirit whispering into our souls.  What’s that one thought or fear or struggle that keeps coming up again and again?

We also can get a sense of the lesson God would like us to learn through noticing a repeat theme in sermons or conversations.  Is the same passage of Scripture showing up in our quiet time, at church, in Bible study, chatting with a friend, or in an email devotional?  God’s speaking.  Are we listening?

With a brand new year underway, it is an excellent time to ask God for a PERSPECTIVE 2012 word or phrase along with a verse to mediate on all year long.  Then look for ways to  weave this perspective into every aspect of your life, bit by bit savoring His lessons for you as you live intentionally focused today.

Living Intentionally Application and Reflection

1. Spend time in prayer and seeking the Lord through the Scriptures to discover your PERSPECTIVE 2012 word or phrase and verse that captures what you think God wants to impress on your heart this year.
2. What are some common themes or verses that arise again and again?
3. What do I hear myself saying or repeating — a particular word or phrase?
4. What ongoing trial or circumstance is persisting and could use a Scripture truth to strengthen my resolve to persevere?
5. Take time to write about your PERSPECTIVE 2012 and even create a graphic to post on your blog, Facebook page, or around your home.
6. Link up your PERSPECTIVE 2012 post in the comments below and even consider sharing it on Word Filled Wednesday this week.

Learn more about Living Intentionally here.

Join in Living Intentionally on the 1st and 15th of each month!

Elisa Pulliam

Elisa is a trained biblical life coach, mentor, and speaker passionate about equipping women to experience authentic life change for the sake impacting the next generation. She leads More to Be, a ministry committed to raising up mentors and providing resources for tweens, teens, twenty-somethings, and women. Elisa is also the author of Impact My LIfe: Biblical Mentoring Simplified. She considers her first calling as wife to Stephen and mother to her house-full of children. Her favorite days begin on the porch with the Lord and end on the beach with her family and friends. Connect with Elisa at www.elisapulliam.com

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