Day 45: Don't Make The Trade

 
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WARM up:

Pray:

“God, there will always be something that seems more urgent or more important than my mission. Give me the discernment I need to know the difference between something I need to attend to and something that is not worth chasing. The mission You have placed in me is incredibly valuable. Whether I’m tempted by comfort, power or wealth, I’m not going to make the trade. I want to echo the resolve of Nehemiah because I am also carrying on a great project and cannot slow down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down a rabbit trail? Strengthen my spirit so I can stand strong and continue this great work!”

Round 1:

Set a timer for 5 minutes. Sit quietly before God. Say nothing. As thoughts come to you, bring them back to God. If something is really distracting, write it down so it can be set aside. Focus, instead, on your mission statement, gifts or core values.

ROUND 2:

Read Nehemiah 6:3 and read Matthew 4:1-11 out loud.

Round 3:

Make a list of everything you can think of that is tempting you away from your purpose. Then look over this list and determine which temptations are the biggest issues right now. What (or who) is NOT related to your mission but is drawing you away from your mission? Take a moment to pray the prayer in the WARM UP above again. Declare that the things tempting you are not worth the trade. Lean into God all day to stay focused.

Burn Out:

Instead of being a target for temptation, start playing offense and get intentional with what you focus on. Choose one area of your life that could combat the temptation to be thrown off of your mission. Which area will you intentionally focus on today?:

  • Your health - maybe a jog or walk would clear your head

  • Your work - Maybe getting productive today will prove that you have what it takes to get stuff done.

  • Your faith - maybe some extra time with god would provide the strength you need to break a temptation.

  • Your relationships - maybe spending some time with someone in conversation would encourage you to keep going.

  • Your finances - maybe getting a strategy on your finances would take some stress off of you.

After choosing an area to focus on, plan one thing you can do in that area today to move the ball forward. Don’t overcomplicate this.

Everyday this week:

Refer back to Day 41 and re-write your purpose statement - EVERY DAY THIS WEEK. If you are not settled on it, write down a rough sentence that starts with this:

God has created me with a mission for my life, and I think it is...

Remember, this can change and be modified as time goes on! Just get something on paper!