Achieving Life Transformation in Your Spiritual Walk
GOOD THINGS TAKE EFFORT
When Pastor Allen Jackson was nine years old, his family moved from Florida to Tennessee so that his dad, a veterinarian, could work with Tennessee Walking Horses, and to have a slower pace of life. In an effort to meet other believers and share their faith, his parents opened their home for a community Bible study. “It was a curious parade of characters who crossed the threshold …” Jackson remembers. That size of that little group grew steadily, and as they committed themselves to seeking God in His Word, the members grew spiritually. Through that experience, he learned a number of principles, one of which is: Growth doesn’t just happen – it takes effort. Over the course of nearly 40 years in ministry, Jackson continues to note that some believers thrive in their faith, while others languish. The difference, he says, is being intentional about growth -- putting effort behind the desire. He points out that spiritually strong believers are engaged in the classic spiritual disciplines of seeking God in prayer, reading His Word, and applying those truths to their lives. Doing so “changes the trajectory of our journey,” he believes, adding that our life problems will not be solved by government or politicians, but by the only One who can produce heart change – God Himself.
TEN GOOD INTENTIONS
Through decades of studying Scripture, and talking with people who have strong spiritual lives, Pastor Jackson has come up with ten “best practices” which, when followed consistently, will produce good spiritual fruit. They fall into three categories: personal discipline, interaction within the home, interaction outside the home. The ten practices are:
- Intend to grow
- Intend to read the New Testament
- Intend to pray
- Intend to honor God in your home
- Intend to work with integrity
- Intend to teach the younger generations
- Intend to practice forgiveness
- Intend to welcome the Holy Spirit
- Intend to cultivate generosity
- Intend to finish well
When a Christian prioritizes spiritual growth in his life he will see results, Jackson says. “I can’t promise this book will fix everything that ails you. But I do promise it is a doorway to a fuller, richer life of faith and spiritual connection.”
Jackson remembers working as a teen on horse farms with his dad, and in their own family barn. He was required to haul hay from the field, and clean horse stalls, amongst other chores. At that age, he didn’t always appreciate the hard work, especially when he thought of friends who were lifeguards, worked at golf clubs, or didn’t have to work at all. What he wasn’t able to grasp fully then was the work ethic his dad was instilling in him. With the right attitude, hard work would honor God, bless others, and one day allow him to provide for a family: the results of working with integrity. “The emerging generation needs a purpose beyond a paycheck,” he states.
There are people, including Christians, who have a public façade but behave quite differently behind closed doors, Jackson notes. He says what we do in private matters. Thinking again of his boyhood, he writes of nightly family dinners that were non-negotiable, and provided much more than a good meal. “It was a learning forum, a calendar review, an intentional parental intervention ... “ After dinner, he says both his parents would sit down, read their Bibles, and discuss what they were reading. Their genuine commitment to pursue God made their priorities clear. Jackson says believers also need to guard their homes and hearts from things of the world, such as “consumerism, pornography, ungodly attitudes and secular ideologies…”
The home Bible study that met in the Jackson home continued for years. Eventually, it became the burgeoning congregation that Pastor Jackson has led for nearly 40 years now -- the fruit of intentional faith.
