Today starts the fourth week of the 90-day Foundation Repair Challenge. Sometimes when I am in the middle of a project I start to get focused on the tasks and forget about the purpose of the project. I need to stop now and then to remind myself of the “why”. Why am I doing all of this?
Being a task-oriented person, I like lists and I love it when I can take something off of my to-do list. It gives me a sense of accomplishment, even if it is a simple 5-minute task. I set my goals and then break them down into small tasks that lead toward the big goal. Often, I begin to focus on the tasks and start to “improve” on the tasks and I forget the big goal. Sometimes these “improvements” actually begin to lead me away from the big goal as I continue to focus strictly on the tasks and don’t take time to remind myself of the “why”.
The 90-Day Foundation Repair Challenge that I am working through is not just another checklist. It is not “one more thing” that I need to add to my already busy schedule. The purpose of the challenge is to build my spiritual and physical health. It is about developing habits that will become a part of my normal routine. Habits that will help me grow my relationship with Christ and habits that will help me become physically healthier. I sometimes find myself at the end of the day reading through my daily Bible reading just to check the box and say I did it. While that is better than not reading, that is not the purpose of reading.
Too many times in my life I have gotten focused on completing a project or reaching an accomplishment and have failed to take the time to build relationships with those around me. By nature, I am a task person and not a people person. But what good does it do to accomplish great tasks and not have any relationships? How many times have I read the Bible and said a quick prayer just so I can check off those boxes and say I’m “a good Christian?” There is no effort to think about what I read and improve my life. There is no effort to slow down and listen to what God is saying to me. I am just simply going through the motions without thinking about what I am doing.
As I continue through this 90-Day Foundation Repair Challenge, my goal is not to check off the boxes of reading, praying, and exercising. My goal is to build a stronger spiritual and physical foundation on which I will build the rest of my life. It is not about checking off the boxes, but slowing down long enough to build a stronger relationship with God, a stronger understanding of His word, and a stronger, healthier body to serve. Relationship with God is the most important part of life.
