In Dance Revolution for 2010! – Part 1, I compared our New Year’s resolutions to a dance and suggested we work at gliding through 2010 instead of clunking through with two
left feet. My partner for the year is Time, but Exercise, Good
Nutrition, and Relationship all make wonderful partners, but they are
just a few of many available for our improvement. The way we approach our new partner and the dance we want to learn doesn’t have to be difficult; sometimes a simple approach yields the best results and I shared the following steps for our Dance Revolution 2010:
Step #1 - Start with the basics
Step #2 - Don’t set yourself up for failure
Step #3 - Set reasonable boundaries on your dance floor
This week I want to finish the steps for our New Year’s dance.
Step #4
Be disciplined, not dogmatic. Dogmatic is a great word, but not so good when we are trying to glide gracefully across the dance floor of 2010. Dogmatic carries with it meanings such as dictatorial, stubborn, fanatical, and overbearing. None of those words would be used to describe a beautiful and pleasant dance between partners.
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (Philippians 4:4 NIV)
These words probably were not written with New Year’s resolutions or our Dance Revolution 2010 specifically in mind, but I think they fit together. Being dogmatic about our goals does not leave much room for flexibility and leads to guilt instead of discipline. Discipline is a process that develops good habits or behavior. Being dogmatic sets us up for failure, or even worse, leads to ritualistic attitudes instead of a genuine change of heart. Let’s avoid the Dance of the Dogs.
Step #5
Be patient. Changes will come, but they often take their sweet time to arrive. Also, if your Dance Revolution 2010 involves eliminating a long-time habit, don’t expect it to disappear overnight. It took time to develop; it will take time to kick out of the dance hall.
A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man displays folly. (Proverbs 14:29)
Nothing shows more folly than when someone with a noble and godly goal, throws their hands up in frustration because they lack patience. I know I’ve been guilty of that in the past, but that type of attitude doesn’t get rid of left feet. Patience helps us understand that we are not perfect. It helps us not give up with the going gets tough. Patience is stuff that many victories is made of, and it is a great remedy for too many left feet on the dance floor.
Step #6
Re-evaluate your goals often. Who said that goals and resolutions are only for January 1st of a new year? If you want change and revolution in the next year, let’s re-evaluate every month . . . or more, if necessary. When Warren and I were taking dance class, the beginning of each class was a review of what we had already learned and our new goal for each class session. That was on a weekly basis. Review and preview. We reviewed our accomplishments, and previewed new goals which renewed our desire to succeed.
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. (2 Corinthians 4:16)
This verse encourages us not to quit and even Christians are notorious about letting our yearly goals fall in the gutter of forgotten missions. When do we tend to be most excited about what we do? When we first decide to do it, whatever “it” is, and when we can see our progress. What better way to stay in that frame of mind than to re-evaluate often. That involves reviewing of our forward progress, and previewing the next step.
Dance Revolution 2010
Practical Christianity goes beyond resolutions . . .it screams for a revolution of successful change. Practical Christianity wants to dance to dance with the joyful as described in Jeremiah 31:4. We want to glide across the dance floor as God looks down and smiles on us. Whether we dance to perfection or stumble now and then is okay with our heavenly Father.
We need to try our best to get rid of the extra left foot that plagues our goals, but we need to understand that God doesn’t expect perfection . . . He loves a sincere heart just as much as a perfect dance performed in His honor.
So, don’t just strive to accomplish your New Year’s resolutions; aim for Dance Revolution 2010 and really turn the coming year upside down!
In Dance Revolution for 2010! – Part 1, I compared our New Year’s resolutions to a dance and suggested we work at gliding through 2010 instead of clunking through with two left feet. My partner for the year is Time, but Exercise, Good Nutrition, and Relationship all make wonderful partners, but they are just a few ofThis week I want to finish the steps for our New Year’s dance.
Step #4
Be disciplined, not dogmatic. Dogmatic is a great word, but not so good when we are trying to glide gracefully across the dance floor of 2010. Dogmatic carries with it meanings such as dictatorial, stubborn, fanatical, and overbearing. None of those words would be used to describe a beautiful and pleasant dance between partners.
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (Philippians 4:4 NIV)
These words probably were not written with New Year’s resolutions or our Dance Revolution 2010 specifically in mind, but I think they fit together. Being dogmatic about our goals does not leave much room for flexibility and leads to guilt instead of discipline. Discipline is a process that develops good habits or behavior. Being dogmatic sets us up for failure, or even worse, leads to ritualistic attitudes instead of a genuine change of heart. Let’s avoid the Dance of the Dogs.
Step #5
Be patient. Changes will come, but they often take their sweet time to arrive. Also, if your Dance Revolution 2010 involves eliminating a long-time habit, don’t expect it to disappear overnight. It took time to develop; it will take time to kick out of the dance hall.
A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man displays folly. (Proverbs 14:29)
Nothing shows more folly than when someone with a noble and godly goal, throws their hands up in frustration because they lack patience. I know I’ve been guilty of that in the past, but that type of attitude doesn’t get rid of left feet. Patience helps us understand that we are not perfect. It helps us not give up with the going gets tough. Patience is stuff that many victories is made of, and it is a great remedy for too many left feet on the dance floor.
Step #6
Re-evaluate your goals often. Who said that goals and resolutions are only for January 1st of a new year? If you want change and revolution in the next year, let’s re-evaluate every month . . . or more, if necessary. When Warren and I were taking dance class, the beginning of each class was a review of what we had already learned and our new goal for each class session. That was on a weekly basis. Review and preview. We reviewed our accomplishments, and previewed new goals which renewed our desire to succeed.
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. (2 Corinthians 4:16)
This verse encourages us not to quit and even Christians are notorious about letting our yearly goals fall in the gutter of forgotten missions. When do we tend to be most excited about what we do? When we first decide to do it, whatever “it” is, and when we can see our progress. What better way to stay in that frame of mind than to re-evaluate often. That involves reviewing of our forward progress, and previewing the next step.
Dance Revolution 2010
We need to try our best to get rid of the extra left foot that plagues our goals, but we need to understand that God doesn’t expect perfection . . . He loves a sincere heart just as much as a perfect dance performed in His honor.
So, don’t just strive to accomplish your New Year’s resolutions; aim for Dance Revolution 2010 and really turn the coming year upside down!
(c)2010 Shona Neff