What is it, you want to look back on and celebrate?

I have asked this particular question to many leaders, pastors and to people who claim to be Christ's disciple is - 'What is it you want to celebrate when you look back? In most cases, invariably the response was always in terms of programs, activities and events.

In the story of the prodigal son, the father celebrated the return of his son who happened to be the cause for all the mess, but made a conscious decision to return back to his father. In heaven there is a celebration every time over one sinner who repents than ninety-nine righteous people who don’t need repentance (Luke 15:7). The ninety-nine people are already the righteous ones or maybe even good Church goers, but a successful crowd without repenting their sins. If you notice here, rejoicing was not about the quantitative accomplishment, but it's the one on which the impact is highlighted and becomes the reason for celebration.

Celebration becomes meaningful over a fulfilled expectation, when the goal is set and reached and then over an outcome achieved. The truth of the matter is that with or without a goal, people are going to work hard to get somewhere. But the question is, are they getting where they want to go? Paul makes it very clear when he says this, “So I do not run like one who run aimlessly or box like one beating the air.”. 1 Corinthians 9:26

Clarify the outcome: The most important thing in Christian walk of life and in ministry is to clarify your end goal or end win. A defined goal having definite outcome and impact enlisted will give you a purpose and keep people on proper track not allowing them to operate in random.

Have a clear roadmap: Basically, what I am saying is to have a well-defined steps to reach the end goal. Not Programs. Your programs should take people somewhere, not simply use up their time. Ask yourself, where do we want our people to be? What do we want them to become? Is our programming designed to take them there?

Exit strategy: One day someone else will be doing what you are doing. Whether you have an exit strategy or not, ultimately, you will exit. So, embrace the inevitable and prepare now for the future. And more importantly prepare second line leadership who can do better than you and sustain the work you have created.

Monitoring and Evaluation: Everything will look good if you don’t have a mechanism to evaluate what you are doing. We can all be in this thing called “Feel-good factor”. You feel good about what you are doing, you measure things to make it look good. Paul says, that such people who measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves lack understanding (2 Corinthians 10:12)

If you look carefully in the Bible you will know that to a larger extent all the celebrations were the accomplishment and impact, not events and program in itself. May God sharpen your perspective to define what you intend to celebrate and move toward the goal.

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Reopen the wells!

“Isaac reopened the wells that had been dug in the days of his father Abraham and that the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham died. He gave them the names his father had given them.”.

This is a passage where it talks about Isaac digging the wells and reopening it once again which was closed up by the Philistines. Isaac had a right to these wells by reason of the old covenant between his father Abraham and the king. Hence when his claim was resisted, he abandoned the well. Every time he dug and opened the closed well, they strove and claimed it. And finally, the Bible says, “he dug another, and they did not quarrel over it. He named it Rehoboth.”. (Genesis 26:22).

In this new year I challenge you to look into the closed wells of your life. What are the gifts left unoperated? What are the services that you did effectively for the Lord have you abandoned because of people's resistance? God has graciously extended a year in your life and it is worth taking a stock of all that is left abandoned. You may have so many reasons as to why you have abandoned, and that’s ok. Can you reconsider reopening the wells that give fresh waters? Look unto the Lord for his help and mercy in this new year.

In order to dig and unearth the closed wells the first step would be to dig out all the trash and the dirt that closed your potentials and your ability to connect to God. Paul in 1 Corinthians 5:7-8 says, “Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new unleavened batch, as indeed you are. For Christ our Passover let us observe the feast, not with old leaven or with the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”. Paul reiterated this because the little deceptions, little insincerities and little subtleness can spoil the purpose for which you have been called and further block the wells of your life. Find out how with new fresh commitment in your personal life and in your ministry, you can accelerate to have power and influence to transform many lives.

This is a year of opportunity, may we all seriously find ways to enrich our relationship with God and find ways to open up the areas where we were once effective for God in carrying out the great commission (the sole purpose of every individual). Be refueled by God’s sovereign power once again and be a well that is capable of giving fresh water always.

Consider the massive number of people who have little or no access to the gospel. Are you comfortable with such darkness? What will you and your church do about it?

Population: 7.67 Billion

Population unreached: 3.19 Billion

% Population in unreached: 41.6%

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