On the 7th day of Christmas...

...the good Lord gave to me- goals to set for 2012. I recently began reading a wonderful book called Thirsting for God: Spiritual Refreshment for the Sacred Journey by Gary Thomas. It is one of those books where every other line begs to be highlighted. The chapter I read most recently, Hell Breaking Apart at His Feet, centered on some insights that seemed most apropos for New Years Eve. In the chapter prior, Thomas tells of ancient Christian writers all of whom were close to the Lord because they had specific goals for their spiritual lives. John Climacus, John of the Cross, John Wesley, and Teresa of Avila all had clear goals that shaped their Christian lives. Thomas' reading of many such authors, as well as the gospels, led him to create similar goals for himself:

"Contemplation (prayer, meditation, time alone with God) balanced with public ministry (teaching, healing, ministering to the poor). The two are not set against each other but joined together in a cooperative effort...Jesus insisted that the love of God includes loving and serving others...

(Jesus') ministry was that natural outpouring of a tremendous individual step-by-step walk with the Father. He chased out ignorance, defeated the demonic, and released the ill and oppressed.  In other words, hell broke apart at His feet. Jesus and hell could not occupy the same spot, so wherever Jesus went, hell was dismantled. Together, Jesus' life and teaching provide us with a clear goal- to walk with God in a way that makes hell break apart at our feet and allows the kingdom of God to appear. (emphasis mine) 


Our calling is to develop a rich life of devotion, study, and prayer, manifesting itself in a spiritual strength and depth that results in active and spontaneous ministry."

Thomas goes on to discuss this "cartoon," which has been a favorite of mine this. I'd like to be this kind of woman, wouldn't you?! Thomas goes on to say,

"The goal I adopted- seeing hell break apart at my feet as a natural consequence of building and nurturing a life of devoted passion for God- encourages me to grow not only for my own sake but especially for the sake of others...I want to focus on how much of Christ's presence comes in, confident that His presence cannot remain hidden...

If we don't experience the dissolution of hell in our own lives, we would do well to ask ourselves why. Are we flirting with hell and thus unable to confront it?...Have we just become lazy, content to coast into heaven rather than run the race as faithful servants?"

He then goes on to provide some suggestions on how to set your own goals and live this life of devotion he is suggesting. If you know anything about me at all, you know that I am not disciplined. I am lazy and always choose comfort over exertion. However, this life of devotion, this closeness to Christ which disbands the power of darkness, is so worth it. Worth the effort. Worth the sacrifice. And maybe, with the help of the Holy Spirit, I'll become that woman who sets the devil into a panic.

What about you? What are your goals, hopes, dreams, wishes for this New Year?