Episode #56 Focus on inputs not on goals

Speaker A: 00:00:03

Welcome to the Hobo Soul Podcast of Road advised from the Bible and from me, Yvon Prehn, someone who's a little further down the road of life. I'll talk to you every Tuesday and Thursday for about 10 minutes.

And if you'd like more in depth information on walking with Jesus, you can find that at my www.bible805.com website. For now, let's get started on our topic for today, which is

Episode 56, Focus on Inputs, not on Goals.

First Thessalonians 5:13 and following says, live peaceably with each other. See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people. Always be joyful, never stop praying.

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. This passage describes Christ Christian discipleship in action, but it is challenging to follow, isn't it?

Well, I got some home from a rather unlikely source and I want to share that with you today in this podcast. I was listening to a productivity video recently by Leila Hormozi.

Now she is just a wonderful business coach, but she does use a lot of naughty words, so you may not want to listen to her. It isn't a Christian podcast, but she talked about something that really helped me in many ways to apply things in the Bible.

And here's what she said. Here's a little quote from her. She said, don't focus on your goals, focus on inputs.

Now then she went on to explain what this meant and this was truly life changing for me in many areas because she talked about how when we focus on goals, just goals primarily, it feels good. And that's what a lot of online gurus and books and all this say to do.

Visualize your goals, vision boards, set up, mission statements in the church, all this kind of stuff, all these different statements. But she went on to say a focus on goals often does nothing. Now I can verify that I have had the goal of losing a final 10 pounds for many months now.

I lost almost 30. I want to lose 10 more to make it to my goal, but I just am not doing it. I have the goal, but I'm just not doing it.

Now she really has some things to say about that. She talks about again how we need to focus on our inputs, the actions that will accomplish the goals.

She also used the example of weight loss, which she can speak very knowledgeably to because she lost over 100 pounds. She said just having a goal to lose weight did nothing until she took the actions necessary to do it the actions consistently necessary to do it.

She got all the junk food out of her house. She started going to the gym consistently, she said.

Most important of all, she started tracking what she ate, drank, and how much she exercised on the My Fitness app. When she focused on these inputs, these actions, she lost the weight. Now, I immediately put that app back on my phone.

I have used it in the past and then I just kind of let it slide. But the more I thought about it, I realized her advice applies to us so well. As believers in Jesus, we want to be a disciple of Jesus.

We want to fulfill various goals that the scripture sets out for us. But what actions are we taking on a daily basis to do that?

Now there's the very obvious ones of you need to read your Bible every day or listen to it. That's just fine too. You need to pray consistently. You can use a prayer app like Lectio 365. You can go to Bible teaching classes.

You can go to church. All of these things are obvious inputs. But many other things are required if we really want to be a disciple of Jesus, if that's our goal.

Now, I thought you know this passage. I was reminded immediately of 1st Thessalonians 5, and I want to reread it to you in the message translation.

And I want you to listen very closely to simply the different applications, the different things we need to do that this passage talks about. It doesn't ever say, be a good witness, be a good disciple. It just says, do these things.

So here's what the Apostle Paul get along among yourselves, each of you doing your part. Our counsel is that you warn the freeloaders to get a move on. Gently encourage the stragglers.

Reach out for the exhausted, pulling them to their feet. Be patient with each person, Attentive to individual needs. And be careful that you don't get on each other's nerves. And don't snap at each other.

Look for the best in each other. Always do your best to bring it out. Be cheerful, no matter what. Pray all the time. Thank God, no matter what happens.

This is the way God wants you, who belong to Christ Jesus, to live. Don't suppress his spirit. Don't stifle those who have a word from the Master. On the other hand, don't be gullible. Check out everything.

Keep only what's good. Throw out anything tainted with evil. Isn't that good? Specific actions. Let me point out just a few others. Just really quickly.

Be patient with everyone. Look for the best in each other. Be cheerful, no Matter what. Pray all the time, thank God, no matter what happens.

To grow in these characteristics of discipleship, focus on these inputs, these actions. Maybe this week, challenge yourself for several days.

And maybe you might want to make it a habit to ask yourself these Was I patient with everyone today? Did I look for the best in them? So many Christian virtues are required to simply practice this one of not judging.

We need to learn to love others as ourselves. And remember, Jesus said, they'll know Christians by our love. That's obviously important for a disciple. Were you cheerful no matter what?

Now this isn't about just going around with a grin on your face, but are you growing in trusting God? Cheerfulness is evidence of that. And what if you don't feel like being cheerful?

Now, the way I look at it is consider being cheerful can be a godly way of and please listen to me carefully, faking it till you make it.

Now, some people think it's okay to go over anybody who will listen and just, you know, go on and on and on about every problem and every trial and every everything. I mean, everybody experiences things, but some people just seem like they have to talk about it all the time. But really, life is life.

We aren't in the kingdom yet. There will be challenges and we can either be cheerful about it for the good things that we have, for the food.

We have so much food that we need a diet for indoor plumbing and hot water. I love hot water. I love being able to take a shower. That's an incredible blessing.

And maybe some things don't go well for me during the day or I might have a little pain here or there, but I think I've got indoor plumbing. I've got hot water. I have so much food I need to go on a diet. I have so much to be thankful for.

This shows if we express that kind of thankfulness, that our focus is on God and His gifts and not just on the temporary brokenness of our world. Do you pray all the time? Not necessarily deep and lengthy and formal prayers, but do you chat with Jesus as your day goes along? Try it.

That's what's most important. Do you thank God no matter what happens? The advice about being cheerful applies here.

What happened may be wonderful and easy to be thankful for, but sometimes life can be incredibly painful and crushing and grief and tragedy can overwhelm us. But we can always thank God no matter what happens.

Because no matter how sad this chapter is in our lives, he will write the final one and we will live happily ever after. Focus on those inputs being thankful, praying, really thinking the best of other people.

Make them part of your life, and the goal of becoming a disciple of Jesus will naturally become reality in your life. That's all for this podcast, for transcripts, links to related material, and much more.

To help you learn to know, trust, apply and teach the Bible, go to www.bible805.com. For now, let me end with this benediction and prayer.

May you walk each day surrounded by the gracious love of the Father, guided by the gentle wisdom of the Holy Spirit, and conscious of the astoundingly real presence of Jesus, who will walk with you until you're no more a hollow soul, no more a transient wandering heart, but at home in the kingdom prepared for you with your God forever. Amen.