Most of us know more than we do

The New Year holiday is not a thrilling occasion for me.

I'm no more excited about watching drunk people sing and celebrate the descent of a huge, round, gaudy disco ball in New York City than I am about driving with them on the highway. I was a lot happier to be out of the car after a ten-hour New Year's Eve drive than I was about the beginning of 2009.

I'm not big on New Years resolutions, either. But here's one I'm taking seriously: Do more of what I already know.

Here are three examples:

1. Because I believe in God, I read the Bible and pray, in order to get to know him better. This sounds like bragging, but it isn't intended that way: I know a lot about the Bible and what it says about life. The point is, I could practice a lot more of that.
2. One of my important roles in life is being the head of my family. I'm a husband and father of four great kids. I know a lot about how to be a good husband, and I'm guilty of not doing very much of it. Same goes for being a dad. I'm a son, too, and I'm fortunate that my parents are both still living. I am commanded to give them honor. I intend to do better this year with my wife, children and parents.
3. In my career, I am a development professional. I have more than 20 years of mostly-successful experience in public relations and fundraising. I earned an undergraduate degree in organizational design, and studied philanthropy and development at the master's level. All of that means I'm supposed to know a little something about relationship building and attracting philanthropic funding for a non-profit organization. I love my work, and I'm tremendously fortunate to be connected with a terrific bunch of people at e3 Partners Ministry. This year, I'll be even more intentional about putting my experience and learning into motion.

There are some other areas of my life where this concept applies, but those are just for me.

How about you? Are you doing as much as you know?