Under Construction

Each of us are at varying stages of life.  Just as the photos with this post show homes in various stages of construction.

It is easy to make the assertion that we ouselves are under construction as well.  No matter our age, abilities, interests or desires we are involved in construction from birth to end of days.

Whether it is faith, fitness, finance or any other functional area of our life there are principles of construction that must be followed to end with the best results.  These are like the foundation of a home.  Without a firm foundation the house will not stand, a principle we teach our small children in the song, "The Wise Man Built His House Upon the Rock." 

At the most basic foundational level is the plan or blueprint.  Without a vision for the finished product and an understanding of what is required to get there it will be near impossible to have the desired product in the end.

Once the plans are established comes execution.  This is how we follow or fail to follow the blueprint.  How closely we follow the blueprint will determine our eventual success or failure.  With our fitness for example, if we jump in too quickly and overexert ourselves we will face pain, if not injury, and our plans may become derailed.  The same applies to our financial lives, as well, to keep our budget on track means not making those impulse purchases that may put us in a bind.

In building a home you can't do much of the interior work until your construction is "in the dry" meaning the inside is safe from the elements that might otherwise do it harm.  Likewise as we progress we seek to make a difference on the inside this may mean aquiring additional knowledge in a particular area to allow for more detailed construction or renovation.

This concept also leads me to think about the quality of materials that we are using to build our lives.  There is a term GIGO in computer programming which means garbage in garbage out.  Choose the best materials that will stand the test of time when inputting knowledge to build your life upon.

When construction is occurring on a home often the homeowner will track the progress each day with the builder, noticing the sometimes subtlest of differences.  We too should adopt this practice in various areas of our life.  Progress made and witnessed is powerful reinforcement to continue.  The process we take to build a better life requires planning, great materials and constant progress checks.

If you will adopt these practices, you will DO WELL in building a better life.

Commitment to Improve

Early in my adult life I worked as a retail store manager for Hastings Entertainment stores.  I recall that when we would have to write someone up for policy violations we used a form called "Commitment to Improve" (CTI).  Though the form name was meant portray a positive tone, it was never taken as such by those who were being written up.

As we begin the adventure that is a new year I want to challenge each of you to join me in making a commitment to Improve in some area or areas of your life. 

I have written a considerable bit about goal-setting in the past couple of months and want to make one more appeal to you in this regard.  Though plans often go astray they do provide us with a road map and a definition of success.  If we, as Christians, let others or the world at large define success we will be hopelessly spinning our wheels and likely have wedges inserted between us and God, that become far more difficult to remove over time.

Define your success, move forward toward it, and Do Well in 2016.