Have you thought about the tremendous spiritual power of having personal spiritual projects? Let’s consider it!

Sometimes Christians flounder in their spiritual growth not knowing exactly in what direction to go.

They are doing devotions. They are going to church. They are involved in small Bible study groups. But somehow they seem to be “stuck.” They are in a kind of spiritual rut. They have somehow settled into a spiritual routine. It seems that a lot of the excitement of spiritual growth has drained out of their lives.

When was the last time you asked God to give you a spiritual project?

Projects have a way of getting us focused. And, when they are from God, they have a way of firing our vision and enthusiasm.

Of course, a project that someone other than the Lord delegates to us may seem tedious and unpleasant. But the Lord has a way of giving us projects that fit our spiritual gifts. He knows how to stir up our desires and enthusiasm. And we find fresh energy to pour into carrying out those God-given projects.

Sometimes we may have several God-given projects going at once. That’s fine too, as long as they’re all from Him!

Let’s consider some of the characteristics of these kinds of projects.

Characteristics of God-Given Projects

They bring great glory, honor, and praise to God.

They generate a vision within us of something to be accomplished that would bring joy to God

They make us more like our Lord, Jesus Christ

They bless and excite the true children of God

They bring great joy to our hearts

They can be a tool (directly or indirectly) to draw others to Christ

On the other hand, a God-given project may irritate or even anger some people (Jesus, and His disciples after Him, rubbed a lot of people the wrong way!)

Examples of God-Given Projects

Here are some types of projects that come to mind. You will be able to add lots more.

Ministry Projects (jail ministry; nursing home ministry; shut-in ministry; working with benevolence organizations; encouraging new Christians; etc.)

Bible Study Projects (in-depth topical studies; verse-by-verse study of a book; Greek and Hebrew word studies; studies of a particular Biblical person or place; studies of Bible history; systematic studies of Bible doctrine; etc.)

Bible Memory Projects (verses on a particular topic; plan-of-salvation verses; longer passages and chapters; etc.)

Christian Skill Development Projects (how to read music; how to play a musical instrument; how to do effective Bible studies; how to praise and worship more effectively; how to do effective spiritual warfare; etc.)

Spiritual Gift Development Projects (learning what your spiritual gift is; learning how to use it effectively; learning how to avoid the abuses and misuses of your gift; learning how your gift works together with other gifts; learning to appreciate the differences between your gift and the gifts of others; etc.)

Communication Projects (learning how to teach more effectively; letter writing projects; keeping spiritual journey diaries and journals; phone call encouragement projects; email, web page, and blog projects; etc.)

Age Group Specific Projects (children; youth; young married’s; senior adults; etc.)

Family Growth Projects (marriage enrichment; child rearing; grandparenting; etc.)

Fund Raising Projects (for your local church; for specific ministries; for missionaries; etc.)

Christian Action Projects (Christian political causes; pro-life projects; pro-family projects; elected official communication projects; etc.)

Projects to Overcome Sin and Strongholds (could involve accountability; Scripture memory; spiritual warfare; establishing new friendships; strategies for conquering fear, worry, anger, addictions; etc.)

Personal Evangelism and Missions Projects (preparing and distributing tracts or CDs; door-to-door canvassing; phone surveys; prayer lists; communication with missionaries; personal study for effective communication of the gospel; etc.)

Christian Evidences Projects (apologetics; reasons for our faith; learning how to answer difficult questions; helping students who might be questioning the basis for their faith; etc.)

Formal Education Projects (seminary study; Bible college study; correspondence courses; Internet courses; etc.)

Many of us can become consumed with wholesome projects that may be fun and enjoyable, but of doubtful value if we think in terms of eternity (e.g., home improvement; lawn work; gardening; motor vehicle projects; hunting and fishing; sports and athletic projects; physical fitness projects; secular education projects; community beautification projects; etc). These things are not bad things! But wouldn’t it be great if, looking back from eternity, we realized that God had led us to be involved in projects that had eternal consequences!

So, what projects are you working on? Maybe it’s time to say, “Lord, would You please show me the project or projects that You want me to pour myself into?”

Then just listen for awhile!

And then, when you have direction from Him, throw yourself into that God-given project with passion and abandon! You’ll love it! And so will other people! But, most of all, so will He!