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?

Reflect Living Wholeness

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Reflect Living Wholeness

By Carolyn Russell

I have recently had a holiday.  Superb in so many ways – seeing friends, returning to places we have loved, being with family including watching our 4 year old granddaughter enjoy REALLY cold weather  and laughing with her. We planned our time, we paid money for all the fares, we travelled a long way, then we walked and drove, we ate food and enjoyed fellowship, (we found living in close quarters in small flats quite challenging at times !), and yet it was good. The job of a holiday is for a person to have a break …. RIGHT?  And to return to more standard life energised to continue… RIGHT?

Yet, I have returned and feel refreshed and ready in some ways, but there is a persistent niggle in my heart…. A CONFLICT!

I tried to ignore this presence of the Niggle in that sector of my heart for a while after returning, returning to my normal routine of home life/client work, and planning the year–  A potentially full one, which will give a lot of satisfaction and joy.  So.. the true character of Conflict 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 Niggle continued!  Then I got sick – confined to bed for 2 days after a Gastro bug, the Niggle 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 seeing as I did this? 

Well, our God is Invitingly gracious in Niggles. 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 a bit addled perhaps, but I prayed for Understanding, then thought of 2 very short words, Do and Be,  which I am sure came from His Spirit’s voice, as they led me to read a lot of Scripture, illuminating what was NIGGLING….

As you read this, open the Scriptures, and hear the words that illuminated, taught me, and exhorted me to then FACE what is actually going on inside me with that knowledge of Him.

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

3 portions of Scripture shone out as I followed through the Canon to understand Do, and Be.

James Chapter 1

Colossians Chapter 3

 John Chapter 9

At first glance, there are Behaviours, 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 shine through!  ( CWF is based on this WHOLE picture!)

And look deeply at James 1:  when we Turn ( repent) and Focus on Christ, there is produced in us a Heart  Suffused in righteousness, Like a deep Soaking in water then Cleansed, and then Activated, bearing a beauty which LOOKs like Jesus!   

Now read John 9: how Jesus responded to the blind man, and to the crowd, when he was here in person: He said ( John 9:4) ‘ 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 activities, but overall to Responses which cause the BLIND TO SEE. 

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

The word TASK came into my mind and arrested me – how easy it becomes to DO tasks, get knowledge and apply skills, not allow the Transformation of Heart, and changed Attitudes from Jesus to seep out The True TASK. People see the Behaviours, but the Character is not blessing others while there is light.

The discomfort of the niggle was slowing – I was getting it! 

Carolyn, you have been sliding back L – over into DOING only, not BEING, and though the Social Physical and Mental parts of you were fed somewhat through the holiday, you did not take enough time for the Character of Christ to be continually formed in your heart, to become more and more HIS.

What have I learned from Him? 

TASK = DO  and yet….                            TASK ≠ BUSY

TASK = Being HIS… What we do with the WHOLE, with ALL of us, With EVERYTHING

(including planning, and work, holidays and eating with friends, paying money, blessing folk, helping the Blind to see)

After I was recovering, I read some things on Bible Hub, and found 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 the uncomfortable NIGGLES 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 with in our hearts. We praise You, that You have given us minds, which have thoughts and emotions, and ways of observing ourselves in the world, and hearts which can notice when we are not seated in your gates, learning from You. 

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

Then help us by Your Spirit’s power to submit ourselves to be Cleansed, Soaked, and refreshed, and to DO your will while there is light.

Come Lord Jesus,

AMEN