Live for Him A Grace-Filled Look at Planning By Leigh Ann Dutton IntentionalByGrace.com #liveforhim Notes from the author: All contents copyright © 2014 by Leigh Ann Dutton. All rights reserved. No part of this document or the related links may be reproduced or redistributed in any form, by any means (electronic, photocopying, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the author. All Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version unless otherwise note. Table of Contents Why I Want You to Live Intentionally 3 What You Need for Your Planning Session 6 Encouragement to Get {and Stay} on Your Knees 8 Conducting a Personal Evaluation 10 Developing a Personal Mission Statement 11 Setting Goals to Live for Him 18 Making a Monthly Plan 21 Take Time to Evaluate 22 Be sure to Always Remember Grace 24 Resources 26 About the Author 27 Special Thanks 28 Printables 29 Why {I Want You} to Live Intentionally For some, living intentionally is synonymous with legalism - we change what God intended as a means of experiencing grace into a means of earning grace. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. ~Ephesians 2:8-10 Instead, we live intentionally because we have experienced grace. There is nothing we have to earn. Living intentionally is a result of being made into a new creation. Instead of living for self, we begin to live for Him who created us. When it comes to living intentionally, the Creation account in Genesis instructs us in how we should order our lives. Take a moment and read Genesis 1:1-2:3. I know this is a familiar passage, but I implore you to take a few extra minutes to read the text in its entirety. I’ll wait. Still waiting … Okay, done? Let’s dig in together. 3 The important point that I want us to draw from the Creation account is that God formed before He filled. • He created light – determining day from night • He separated the waters and created Heaven and earth • He formed dry land and placed the waters on earth into their proper places Once the foundation was laid, He began to fill the earth with vegetation. • He filled the sky with the sun and the moon and the stars • He filled the waters with living creatures and released the birds into the air! • He filled the land with all the livestock and creeping things Once all of this had been formed and filled, He brought forth man and woman. God perfectly prepared a place for us before bringing us into being. He made sure there was a place to lay our heads, food to fill our bellies and water to quench our thirst. He even ensured there was beauty for us to enjoy. Can you see God’s deliberate care, the intentional way in which He formed, laying the foundation, before He began to fill? I believe laying a foundation for your life is an integral part of living intentionally. Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. ~ Ephesians 5:15-17 4 Through this eBook, I want to teach you how to make a plan for the days ahead because I desire for you to live a Christ-centered life in complete reliance upon the grace of God. I want to inspire you to live for Him because of the grace you have received. I want you to understand what the will of the Lord is for your life by guiding you through the process of asking Him! • What principals do you stand on? • What dictates the decisions you make? • Do you approach life in the systematic way in which God gave example? • Have you made a plan? 5 What You Need for Your Planning Session Bible. It’s a good idea to have your Bible nearby. Referring back to the Creation account is a good place to start. However, I’m certain the Lord will lead you through other passages as you search your heart and create new plans for His glory. Journal. I like journaling my thoughts during my planning session. God always stirs my spirit in more ways than one when I sit down for a big planning session like this. A journal is a great way to capture everything the Lord is teaching me. Pen & Pencil. I suggest grabbing both a pen and a pencil. When I’m journaling, I use my pen. For brainstorming, goal setting, and evaluating, I like to use a pencil. This allows me to erase and move things around as much as I want. Planning Worksheets. I have provided several planning pages in the back of this eBook. I suggest printing them off before you get started. This eBook is designed to walk you through each exercise. Printing your worksheets now means you can work as you read. Time. It’s a good idea to set aside a good chunk of time to complete this packet. How much time depends on how much you have and how involved you want to be in this process. I suggest no less than one hour, but in some cases, a half-day would be ideal. If you have children, then consider getting a babysitter or line up a Saturday morning when your spouse is home to get some time alone. 6 Quiet Location. Ideally you want to work uninterrupted. I like to get away to a coffee shop. But your quiet location can be your kitchen table, bedroom, home office, a closet, or anywhere you can be alone! Expectant Heart. It’s tempting to think this is a pointless series of exercises, but I assure you it will be fruitful. The process of evaluating and planning your life is a rich experience. So come with an expectant heart, a heart that would love nothing more than to hear from God. I am so excited for you! This journey to planning your life in order to live for Him will be a freeing experience. I know you desire to glorify God in all you do, and I’m sure it can get overwhelming at times figuring out where to start. Not to mention, it’s easy to feel guilty for taking time to walk through this exercise. However, I can assure you it is worth. Therefore, we will walk hand-in-hand through this planning session. I will guide you through to the end. I hope you find this eBook a mighty encouragement to live for Him because of the grace you have received. So let’s get started! 7 Encouragement to Get {and Stay} on Your Knees I sat staring at my husband at the kitchen table. My heart was laid bare and the tears streamed down my face. I was weary and tired. Another wall. Another barrier. We know we’re walking in the Lord’s will. We’ve not taken one step without consulting our Heavenly Father, but here we sit again battle worn and broken. Just when I think I can finally take my nose off the floor, I’m forced right back down again. That’s when I heard a gentle, reprove. Why do you keep rising from your knees in the first place? Isn’t it so typical? When things are hard, the kids are sick, we lose a job, or a family member dies, we fall on our face before the Lord and plead with Him to intercede and go to work both in us and in our circumstances. We bury ourselves in His Word and live and breathe worship from our souls as we seek out His will, direction, and call. But the minute things let up, our children heal, we find a job, and time begins to heal all wounds, we rise from our knees and without even realizing it we move on. We move on from the Lord and our complete utter reliance upon Him. 8 I’ve got it from here, Lord. Thanks for your help. Therefore, before we get started, I want to encourage you to pray about your heart’s desire to live intentionally. When Jesus was in Gethsemane, He prayed to the Father to take this cup from Him. When He came back to find His disciples sleeping, He said these warning words: Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. ~Matthew 26:41 When it comes to living intentionally, we must begin in prayer. Because it is there, on our knees, where we will be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. Left to ourselves, and our own devices, we are weak. But in the Spirit, we are filled with the very power that raised Jesus from the dead – the Spirit that was present with God when He created the entire universe (see Genesis 1:2)! When things are good and when things are bad, we need Jesus. We need Jesus all the time, every day, for every second. There is not a moment we do not need His presence to fill us. So take a moment right now to pray before you begin.