Reader,

What would it take for you to live your life with no regrets?

Many people are so busy just trying to keep up with their lives that they never stop to consider this question.

When they finally have a moment to themselves, the last thing they want to do is evaluate how satisfied they are with their life. They turn to Netflix or bourbon or something else that will let them empty their minds and veg out, so they can muster up the energy to face another day.

This cycle is a villain that I call the Smothering Grind. It's a devastating tool that the Devil uses to keep us from becoming who we truly are.

Note: I'm not pointing any fingers. I myself have had more than my share of these days. In fact, it often typified my life when I was a pastor, running myself ragged for the kingdom of God.

It's why I wasn't shocked by this sobering statistic from J. Robert Clinton, a Fuller Seminary professor: only 3 in 10 Christian leaders finish well.

If you do the math, that means that 70% of Christian leaders are on a path which will lead them to regret. But I believe that it doesn't have to be that way.

At Plumline, we specialize in something called individuation – the process of becoming who you truly are. In spiritual terms, this is discipleship. Because what is discipleship other than becoming the person God made you to be, so that you can faithfully live the life that's yours to live?

This is why the question I opened this email with is so important. It's not about trying to find a spiritual checklist that will make us right with God. (We know that will never work.) Nor is it about pushing ourselves to do enough so that the good in our lives will outweigh the bad. (That doesn't work either.)

If we want to live our lives with no regrets, we must engage in three practices:

1. REJECT the philosophy of "happily ever after"
2. CONNECT the four parts of our spiritual makeup
3. SELECT which part to express as life unfolds in front of us

Over the next few weeks, I'll dive deeper into each of these practices. They're core to what we do at Plumline, and I believe they're essential if we want to taste the abundant life that God has promised us.

You are loved.

I am for you.

You've got this.

Jake

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