10 Keys to a Successful 2006 Year

The 2006-2007 Academic Year is underway. I hope you have already have a good start. Here are some helpful tips to ensure a good year!

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10 Keys to a Successful Year

1. Smile- “My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast, and my mouth praises you with joyful lips” (psalm 63:5). Life isn’t always fun. God never promised us it would be; however, God does desire that we have joy in our hearts. This joy does not depend upon temporary things (boy friend, girl friend, grades, money), but its source is a deeper joy and peace that can only come from a God that claims us and loves us deeply.

2. Invest- “You will get out of it what you put in to it.” It sounds like a cliché, but this saying is true. When Jesus called his disciples into ministry with him, he didn’t say “stay tuned and watch.” He invited them along for the journey. He required that they be invested wholeheartedly in his ministry. Likewise being part of the Reinhardt community requires that you invest in it. Do not spend your time wondering what Reinhardt will do for you, but figure out what you can give to Reinhardt.

3. Be a part of the community- Six out of the Ten Commandments deal with how to live with other people. God never intended that we spend all our time alone. Certainly, there is a time and place for solitude, but ultimately we created to live in community.

4. Reach out to people that you do not know- Not all of us are extraverts. We might feel uncomfortable meeting new people, but we also can not go through life unwilling to reach out to someone we do not know. Jesus opened the doors to his heart and invited others inside. When we feel turned off by meeting and inviting new people in, we must ask ourselves, “What would Jesus do?”

5. Forgiveness- Matthew 18:21-22. When Peter asked Jesus, “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus answered him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.” None of us are perfect. There will be times this year that we will need to forgive someone who has hurt us. There will also be times that we ourselves need to be forgiven.

6. Integrity- Practice what you preach. The power of Jesus ministry was that he truly practiced what he preached. A genuine person is a powerful witness.

7. Respect- Everyone needs a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T! Respect yourself and others. We do not have to be perfect to have respect, but we ought to be striving for it.

8. Get a religious life- “Not because we have to….Because we want to” A social life is a good thing to have, but nothing can take the place of a religious one. A religious life is able to give us true hope and happiness. It anchors us when the storms of life come. There are many ways to do that on Reinhardt’s campus. It is a blessing to be at a school that understands the importance of faith, alongside academic learning.

9. Grow- There is always more to learn. It is not always what we know, but our desire to grow in knowledge. The Pharisees in Jesus’ time thought they knew all there was to know about God. From Jesus’ interactions with them in the scriptures we learn that when it comes to matters of God, there is always more to know.

10. Love- Let this be our guiding principle in all that we do. When asked what the most important commandment was of all, Jesus answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. And the second is this, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Mark 12:29-31. This is not an easy commandment. Although in God’s eyes everyone is loveable, experience proves that loving others is a tough task at times, but extremely rewarding.




Peace and Blessings,
Rev. Leigh S. Martin
Reinhardt College Chaplain

"Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord." -Psalm 31:24
 

For more information

• Rev. Leigh Martin
  (770)720-5634 
  LSM@reinhardt.edu