February 2025

TASK

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TASK

By JP

If you were seeing a doctor, would you like one with a great attitude but lacks knowledge and not very skillful? Or would you prefer to see a doctor with a terrible attitude but has great knowledge and is very skillful? Of course, ideally it would be great to see a doctor who has a great attitude, skill and knowledge. Even better than that would be to see a doctor that has been transformed by Jesus Christ along with incredible attitude, skills and knowledge. In TASK, T-A-S-K refers to the Transformation, Attitude, Skill and Knowledge.

Sometimes I think that S (skill) and K (knowledge) is something I feel easier to work on. It’s more tangible, measurable and something I have more control over. I can set goals, monitor and see how I have increased my skills and knowledge. I can attend courses, read articles and maybe even find opportunities for me to practice some skills to help increase my knowledge and skills. Better yet I might even have opportunities to teach to solidify and grow my skills and knowledge. There’s always more knowledge to learn and new skills to attain.

  • What skills and knowledge are you hoping to increase in 2025?
  • What skills and knowledge have you learnt in the last few years?  

With A (attitude) I feel it’s more difficult to see how I have grown in these. My attitude can fluctuate and change in different circumstances along with my energy levels, my emotions and thoughts. Some days my attitude towards people or circumstances are kind, patient and God-centred and other days they are not so kind, not very patient and self-centred. The thing I find about attitude is that it is not as linear or easy to track compared to skills and knowledge. Generally with skills and knowledge, once you learn it, you might need to refresh every now and then, however with attitude, it needs a daily refreshing. How have my attitudes been God-centred or self-centred when I interact with my family, my colleagues, strangers, friends? Were there situations today that I was self-centred in my attitudes? I find that sometimes doing a daily check helps keep my attitude God-centred or at least aware of when I am God-centred and self-centred.

Daily Attitude check

  1. How was my attitude towards people today (Including God, self, family, friends, colleagues and strangers)
  2. How was my attitude towards today’s circumstances?
  3. God, reveal to me if there were any selfish attitudes or attitudes that were not pleasing to you to today that I may confess, and refresh me with your spirit to have a God-centred attitude towards people or situations.

As with T (transformation), it’s similar to attitude in that it’s difficult to track and see where, when and what God has done in our lives unless we check it. By transformation, I am referring to the combination of our openness, surrender to God as well as God’s work in us. Similar to attitude, I find that since transformation is the work of God, our openness and surrender to him, it’s been helpful for me to evaluate my transformation by asking these three questions.

Regarding our transformation, we can do a daily reflection or dialogue with God and ask him these three questions

Daily Transformation reflection

When did I turn away from you (God) today?

Where were you (God) at work today?

When did I turn towards you (God) today?

Getting to the TASK:  Transformation, changing Attitudes, Skills and Knowledge!

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Getting to the TASK:  Transformation, changing Attitudes, Skills and Knowledge!

By Carolyn Russell

We recents had holidays.   Superb –  friends, memories from past, being with our granddaughter REALLY loving cold experiences. We planned, paid, travelled, then walked miles, ate food enjoying fellowship, lived in close quarters ( quite challenging at times!), and yet it was good. The job of a holiday was for a rest break ….  to return to life energised..RIGHT?

 I returned refreshed and ready in some ways, but there was persistent discomfort in my Heart…. A CONFLICT!

I tried to ignore this discomforting presence in that sector of my heart as I commenced the routine of home life/client work for the New Year–  one likely full satisfaction and joy.  The true character of the Conflict Sector was being expressed – on the one hand I think and believe ‘this’, on the other hand my body and my mind and spirit are wanting to give me a message that seems ‘opposite’. 

The Discomfort continued!  Then Sickness! – confined to bed for 2 days after a Gastro bug, it amplified… Shouted VERY LOUD.  ‘Take NOTICE’

So, I did. I had to STOP to do so. STOP running busy, STOP getting into my ‘regular’ way and FACE… but WHAT was I learning as I did this? 

Well, our God is Invitingly gracious in Discomfort. He wants to always teach us more of Him, to be present to us, as we choose to Centre. His Word is always there for me to read and learn from.

Where did I go in His Word through these sick days….?  Well, my brain was jetlag addled, but I prayed for Understanding, then thought of the short words, Do and Be.  

These words led me to read a lot of Scripture, illuminating the Discomfort in the Conflict sector….

[ As you read this, open the Scriptures, hear the words about HIM that illuminated, taught, and exhorted me to FACE then to offer Transformation.  

Let’s TURN the Eyes of our Hearts (Centre) to Him who knows us]

Three Scripture shone out as I researched Do and Be.

James Chapter 1

Colossians Chapter 3

 John Chapter 9

Firstly, there are SKILLS, obvious to all around as they read these chapters.  They seem to be all about Tasks… Doing work and activity, ‘putting on’ stuff!

Then hone down:

Col 3: 17  and 3: 22 :  The WHOLE, ALL, EVERYTHING words jump out ( CWF!!)

Now, James 1:  when we Turn (repent) and Centre on Christ, there is created in us a Heart seeped with righteousness, deeply Soaked in water then Cleansed, Activated,  and Being beautiful, LOOKing like Jesus!   

Now read John 9:  Jesus responded to the blind man, and the crowd in the gospel: He said ‘we must work the works of Him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world’.  Jesus knew that his character was to illuminate, and this led to doing tasks and work, but overall to Responses( his work) which cause the BLIND TO SEE. 

So, I spent that day resting, and thinking about CWF, and using the shapes to explore my discomfort

The word TASK on the LW card arrested me – how easy it becomes to DO tasks, get knowledge and apply skills, not allow the Transformation and changed Attitudes from Jesus to seep out i.e.The True TASK. People see the Skills and Knowledge, but the Character is not blessing others.   

The discomfort was easing – I was getting it! 

Carolyn, you have been sliding back L – over into DOING only, not BEING, and though your outer Circles were fed through the holiday, you did not take time for the Character of Christ to be continually formed, to become more and more HIS.

What have I learned from Him? 

Task = DO                                and yet….                            T.A.S.K ≠ BUSY, Doing

T.A.S.K = Being HIS… the WHOLE, ALL of us, With EVERYTHING

After recovering, I read Bible Hub, finding this: ‘… we seek diversion, distraction, and busy-ness to elude the encounter with God, and the examination of self in His presence’.  This attitude of Busy-ness had become pervasive for me through the last months, and I needed to notice my Discomfort more.  ( this is worth reading if you wish to follow up more on this topic: 2. Process Spirituality: Being Versus Doing | Bible.org)

Thank you Father for the Conflict sector that you have gifted us. We praise You, that You have given us minds, which have thoughts and emotions, and ways of observing ourselves, and hearts which can notice when we are not seated in your gates, learning from You. 

Help us all to be more aware of that Sector, to STOP, Feel the discomfort, think about ourselves, and to FACE the truth of our ways, and to Turn for HOME, to the inviting Transformational presence of Christ in Word and Spirit.  

Then help us by the Spirit’s power to submit ourselves to be Cleansed Soaked Refreshed, and to BE yours while there is light.

Come Lord Jesus,

AMEN