1. I will be more of an equipper and less of a doer. Ephesians 4:11-12 says that the purpose of leaders in the church is to equip the people to do the ministry of the church.

2. I will build into the ministry of others rather than seeing them as tools to build my own ministry. Jethro told Moses that trying to be the solitary authority figure was wrong (Exodus 18:13-24). Jesus chose to invest into building 72 other ministers (Luke 10:1), 12 heavily, and three of them intimately so.

3. I will develop a kingdom perspective, realizing that building the ministry of others will multiply the impact of my life. Jesus went out of his way to make sure people understood how much he demanded before they became his followers. For Christians, giving time to ministry is not optional.

4. I will be a cheerleader. In a world full of negative attitudes and criticism, I will demonstrate Christ’s love by celebrating the accomplishments of others.

5. I will call people boldly. Rather than recruiting people timidly, hoping not to offend them, I will boldly invite them to contribute their time to the most significant cause in the universe.

6. I will devote resources to developing others. I will give people constructive feedback. I will seek ways to pay for appropriate training events.

7. I will laugh. My ministry has eternal consequences and is the most serious effort there is. But the Bible speaks of love and joy— not somberness—as the attributes that characterized Jesus’ followers. Jesus’ ministry was a lot like 13 guys on a three-year camping trip—they had to spend some time laughing together. I will help my people have fun in their service.

8. I will forgive myself for 2006. God chose to do this ministry through me, knowing that I’m a cracked vessel (or crackpot). I will spend time now consciously determining what I need to learn from my mistakes and then I will join God in casting them into the Sea of Forgetfulness.

9. I will remember The 1 Thing. In Luke 10:38-42, Jesus reminded Martha that while all her attempts to serve him were good, the one thing most important was developing a growing relationship with Jesus. I will remember that ultimately it is not about my ministry or my church. Ultimately it’s about developing a growing relationship with Jesus

10. I will keep these resolutions longer than the one about dieting and exercise.

by Brian Proffit

Posted on January 2, 2007