Happy New Year! I seem to say this every year, but I cannot believe it's 2016! Time seems to be flying by!
Looking forward to the New Year, most people set some kind of New Year’s Resolutions, and then they break them within the first week. Things like eating healthier, working out, or getting better grades are all common goals, but today, I don’t want to talk about these kinds of resolutions, but I want to talk about spiritual resolutions, and how you can make them last all year!
Goal #1: Don’t look back! Hopefully before the New Year started, you were able to reflect on 2013 and what had happened, and what God had done for you in the past year. If you haven’t done that, I would recommend that you do that before you go any further. The great thing about a New Year is that it is a chance to say goodbye to the old, and usher in the new. However, most people think of New Year’s like this, but they don’t actually do it. It’s important to actually say goodbye to the old, because when you are still dwelling on the past things, and remembering the past, there isn’t room for your future to grow. Now, don’t get me wrong, of course you’ll want to still think about memories of your birthday last year, or something great that happened-and that’s fine! Good memories and things that make you smile are great things that I don’t want you to say goodbye to. Things that I would recommend you saying goodbye to are the following things:
1. Past relationships that no longer exists: This is an important step. If you had a boyfriend/girlfriend, a family member or a good friend that hurt you in the past year, and there are still hard feelings there, forgive them and let it go. Don’t dwell on what happened, but know that God has a plan with whatever your situation is. All you can do is forgive them, and make room for new relationships to build. Praying and talking with God will help you wrestle through this one.
2. Personal Failures: Everyone has these. Maybe you didn’t read the Bible as much as you would’ve like too. Or maybe you went back to an addiction or something you said you weren’t going to. Search you’re heart and realize that whatever negative that has happened in the back year, God will forgive if you just ask Him! Know that if He forgives you, then you can forgive yourself. Forgiving yourself is so important because it frees you from your own judgment, and it will lead you to a happy, and free life.
There are many things that I could go into about hurt and hard feelings, either towards yourself, or others. An important thing is, if you want to go into the New Year making it a positive and happy one, let go of all the things that are bothering you. It’s hard to make a difference in Christ’s Kingdom when you’re weighting yourself down with negative emotions or surroundings.
Goal #2: Once you let go of the negatives of the past year, it’s time for you to set some Christ-centered goals. Let’s start little, and work ourselves up to bigger goals. Let’s talk about our daily relationship with the Lord, since that’s where everything starts. Make it a habit and a priority to read the Bible daily. If this is something that you struggled with last year, sit down and figure out a good routine. Pick a time every day that you’re going to read God’s Word. Whether it be in the morning, at lunch, or before bedtime, pick a time that you can connect with God alone. During that time, I would recommend keeping a notebook where you can write down notes about what you’re reading, and what God’s teaching you. Along with reading the Bible daily, I would recommend a devotional book to read daily as well. There are many great ones out there covering a range of topics for a range of different ages. These will help you with your walk. Also during this time, you can make another goal of having prayer time. This can be hard when you’re busy all day to find a prolonged period of time to sit and pray. If find yourself drifting off a lot during your prayer time, I would recommend a prayer journal, where you write your prayers down in a journal form. This can help you stay focused. Another plus of this is that you can look back and see how God has worked in your life and answered your prayers.
Goal #3: Reading is one thing, but applying is another. James 1:22-24 says “do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in the mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forget what he looks like.” James continues on and says that the one who knows the word and doesn’t forget it, and does what it says, will be blessed. The Bible isn’t merely a book full of great stories, but it’s a book that’s full of great stories that will change your life, and should change the way you act. Simple things like not gossiping, not lying, and loving the least of these, are all things that can be taken away from the Word and be put into practice.
Goal #4: Keep your life in perspective. If you remind yourself every morning why you’re alive and on this earth, you will realize that you have finally found the key to a happy life, and an eternal impact. God has you on this earth to create disciples (Acts 1:8), minister to the least of these, show Christ’s love, and work for heaven on earth. The only reason you are here is because God has a purpose that He needs fulfilled for eternity’s sake, and He wants YOU to do it! What a great thought! I read a quote today that said “may Your Kingdom be what wakes me up and lays me down.” Keep eternity at the forefront of your mind. Say prayers along the day so you don’t forget your mission…and your master. This life is short, and there are many people who need you, and more importantly, they need Christ. Be an example of God to them, and remember your purpose. When you remember who you are, and how you belong to, and practice what you believe, you’ll realize your life has become everything and more then you could’ve ever believed. You will then realize that looking back will never be an option. I love the song “Never Looking Back” by Generation Unleased, and there is a line that says “With everything I am I’m going to give You praise, I’m never looking back, I’ll never be the same.” May we all be able to say that with great joy when we take on the mission of Christ in our lives.
I pray that these will be my goals this 2016, and I pray that they will be yours as well. As always, feel free to contact me via the “Contact Me” page or via twitter at @stephaniejtay. And as always, all glory to God, and Happy New Year!
For fun, here are two songs to get you excited this New Year's!
This post was originally published on 1/2/14 on this website. It has been slightly modified from it's original
version.
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