A few years ago I began thinking in a systematic way about who I was and what I aspired to be. I decided to formulate a few personal aspirations and write them down. At the time I was senior pastor of a large Presbyterian church, so that my aspirations had to do with my personal life and professional life. Here’s what I wrote:
- An increasing trust in God and His promises.
- A decreasing reliance upon myself and my abilities.
- Continued personal healing.
- Daily surrender to Christ, my Lord and Savior.
- To be teachable and correctable always.
- To be humble before God and others.
- To be responsible in all my doings.
- To appropriate the grace given today.
- To nurture a quiet, gentle spirit.
- To experience increased serenity.
- To turn over all anxiety to the One who controls my future.
- To be merciful toward others.
- To have wisdom in words and silence.
- To have the discernment to act, not react.
- To be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading.
- To be totally obedient to the Lord’s will and word.
- To be willing to change.
- To take suggestions from church staff, church leaders and the congregation and act on them in a conscientious way.
- To exceed expectations, rather than meet expectations of the congregation.
Beginning on Sunday, March 9 at 11:15 and continuing at the same time on March 16 and 23rd I am going to lead the second round of “I Am Growing Old.” We had over 75 participants in the first round back in October, and people who missed it asked me to repeat it.
So we are going to repeat the series, but with different content. On March 9th John King will lead us in an exercise called “Writing Your Spiritual Autobiography.” As we grow old we have accumulated a life-time of memories, values and experiences. Most of us have not written them down. If you can come to our series on March 9, 16, and 23rd it will help you “get your affairs in order” as they say, and one of those significant pieces is to communicate to your family and children what you believe, what is important to you.
If you can’t come to the classes, sit down at your computer and write our your personal aspirations. I think you will find it a worthwhile exercise.
