Hard Choices and Victory Cheers - Become What You Believe - Part 3

So, did you decide to write a list of your core beliefs? I hope so. I also hope it was a challenge for you because that shows that you put some thought into it. I'm curious as to what might be on some of your lists, but I also know this is an intensely personal process and therefore possibly difficult to share.

I can share however, what this process has looked like for me. Once I had generated my list, the next logical step was to determine what my life would look like if I lived out my core beliefs. I can tell you that it involves hard choices and sacrifices. For instance, if one of your core beliefs is that you need to be the spiritual leader of your family, you will need to decide what that looks like and what you may have to give up to arrive at the place where you can honestly say you are living up to that core belief. It may be blocks of time that you normally set aside for other things such as hobbies. Or it may be less television, or gathering the family around the dinner table or the fireplace and having devotions. These are hard choices, but if they lead you to align yourself with your beliefs they are very much worth it.

What hard choices will you have to make? Are you willing to make them? And just as importantly, what is your attitude going to be about them? If we go into this with a " Well, if I have to" type of outlook, let's just not bother. We're defeated already. Instead, let's begin this process with the knowledge that while the process is difficult, the rewards are incredible.

That's where the victory cheers come in. We need to celebrate when our words and deeds align with our core beliefs. When, in the example given above regarding spiritual leadership, your family is having those devotions together and are talking about Jesus as a family, take time to give thanks and celebrate. How is up to you, but be sure to include God because without Him, you will not succeed.

I hope you join me in making those hard choices and going through the process of becoming what you believe. Get your list out from time to time and re-evaluate how you are doing. And remember, you can add to this list at any time, but never delete anything. It is way too easy to scratch something off the list when we find the going a little rough. Hang in there.

OK, so there it is. I've said my piece and now I can move on to whatever God gives me next. If you would like, leave a comment here and let me know what you think, if you decided to try this process, and how it's going for you. I'd love to hear from you.

Until next time.