Devo Notes: Begin with the End in Mind (Ch 2: 7 Habits of Effective Families)

Sept 10 Mon - Mt 6

Sept 11 Tues - 2 Peter 1

Sept 12 Wed - Phil 4

Sept 13 Thr – 1 Cor 9

Sept 14 Fri - James 4

Sept 15 Sat – Mt 7

PRAYER: A - Adoration (prayer of centering; focus on God's goodness)

C - Confession (prayer of repentance and asking for God's forgiveness)

T - Thanksgiving (prayer of gratefulness, content, joy, avoiding pessimism)

S - Supplication (prayer for others; then pray for yourself)

S - STOP and listen... give God some time to speak to you --- end with the LORD'S PRAYER

A. 2 Peter 1:9, "whoever lacks these things is short-sighted (myopia) and blind"

- Myopia - inability to see far away, near/short-sightedness. Why problematic?

- Proactive vs. "Reactive people are overly affected by their environment. If the weather is good, they feel good. If it isn't, it affects their attitude and performance. Proactive people carry their own weather with them." Stephen Covey

B. Problem with Myopia - Can only react to what is in front of you; it's all you see

- When you live life "day by day" (no concern for what is "in the distance"), you inevitably become reactionary, knee-jerk, and defined by circumstances

- Family Dysfunction - the more myopic your vision, the more dysfunctional your relationships (family; marriage, parenting, friendships, etc) will be, because the more reactionary your relationships are (and the more unhealthy)

- Phil 4:4-11 - "Joy in every circumstance" - reactionary life won't get you there

C. How pull this off? Key Step = "Begin with the End in Mind"... but to what end?

D. The Bigger Picture - 1 Cor 9:24-26 "Compete to Win; not without a clear goal"

- James 4:13-14, 1) Your life is a Vapor; 2) No Guarantees about Tomorrow

1) If 1 year to live, who would you spend your remaining days with? why?

- Who wants their final year to be developing a relationship with a stranger?

- At the end of life, our longest tenured relationships matter most. Why?

1) Marriage, "Til death do we part." - only happens w/far-sightedness

- CS Lewis, Sharing Life is the Goal (Mere Christianity, p.99-101), "It is no good trying to keep any thrill. Let the thrill die, so you can enter quiet interest and happiness that follow. Then you'll find yourself experiencing new thrills all the time

1) Why do we get married? Why kids? Why friends? Why pets? To Share

- happiest times always shared w/closest relationships (never forsaken)

E. End Goal of Family? To be to one another, what God is to us (never forsake)

- Heb 13:5, God says, "I will never leave nor forsake you" = vision for each other

1) Myopia vs. Far-Sightedness = Instant Gratification vs. Long-Term Gain

- What feels easy/right now vs. What We Know God is Calling us to Be/Do

- to Win = rejecting reactionary behavior regarding problems of "dirty rooms" to the "win" of creating a family culture by 1. imitating and 2. glorifying God

F. Effective Families Proactively Define What the "End Goal/Win" Looks like

- Covey recommends writing out your family values and mission (but subjective)

- Disciples of Jesus? God provides the Mission/Vision (objective; no guesswork)

G. Mt 7:13-14 - Narrow Path to where? = For family, to be like Jesus to each other

- Discipleship: 1. Defines Vision/Standards + 2. Course Corrects along the Way