10 WAYS TO KNOW THE PLANS GOD HAS FOR YOU

We are pleased to share content from the General Conference Women’s Ministries Department during Women’s History Month.¹ Stay tuned for more special features and videos.—Editors.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jer. 29:11).²

In her book Taking Your Spiritual Pulse, Claire Musters shares ten ways to improve one’s spiritual life.³ These basic principles of spiritual growth help women minister more effectively to other women—and anyone who needs help.

1. Establish a Regular Devotional Time: The discipline of spending daily time with God is essential because that’s when we focus on Him and our faith is strengthened. During devotional times God may also reveal areas in our lives that require spiritual growth.
2. Attend Church: Christians need the support and encouragement of other believers to help maintain their spiritual walk.
3. Eliminate Distractions and Temptations: A distraction is anything that takes our focus away from God. It’s important to switch off distractions so we can concentrate on God.
4. Join a Small Group: Humans are social creatures who thrive on interaction with other people. Without Christian fellowship, our spiritual life will simply become dry.
5. Confess Your Sins: Allowing sin to remain unconfessed will hinder spiritual growth. Daily repentance keeps us humble before God.
6. Be Wise With Your Money: Put God first. Evaluate priorities. This helps remind us that everything we have belongs to God.
7. Learn to Forgive: Forgiving others as God has forgiven us can sometimes be incredibly difficult. It’s crucial, though, to be forgiving if we want to grow as Christians.
8. Serve Others: Jesus came to earth to serve others rather than to be served. This is an important principle. Serving may involve being there for someone by simply listening to them, offering them an encouraging word, or giving them a hug. It’s about opening our eyes to see the needs of others, and then doing what we can to help meet those needs.
9. Cultivate “Joy” as a Lifestyle: God is the source of all joy. Sometimes it may feel as though circumstances are conspiring against us, but God may be allowing that to happen to teach us to rely on Him more fully. God is our Sustainer and the Source of everything we need.
10. Be Accountable: “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: if either of them falls down, one can help the other up” (Eccl. 4:9, 10).

May God use each of us this coming year to help make a difference in the lives of thousands of women around the world and bring glory to God.

¹ This article is reprinted, with minor edits, from Mosaic, Winter 2021, vol. 20, no. 1.

² Bible texts are from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright ã 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

³ Claire Musters, “10 Ways to Improve Your Spiritual Life,” Taking Your Spiritual Pulse: Reaching the Peak of Your Spiritual Fitness (Chattanooga, Tenn.: Living Ink Books, 2003) p. 25.