I don't know, maybe I'm out of step with the mainstream, but I don't make New Year's resolutions. I figure I have a hard enough time doing the things I already know I should be doing in life. I know that for some folks the challenge of new goals is necessary. I do set goals through the year and try to challenge myself, but not just because it is the start New Year.
Some look at the New Year as a place to start fresh and try to over come problems and shortcomings in their lives. For much of the world it is difficult to think any further ahead than today. They must concentrate most of their efforts on what they will find to eat that day or how they will cloth their families or how they will stay warm at night or how they will keep their family safe.
I guess I am much more short sighted than many in our society. New Year's resolutions seem like such a luxury when you think about the rest of the world and not just yourself. In my life I prefer to think of things a day at a time as much as I can. Yes, sometimes I make plans much further in the future than that, but I remember a phrase from Jesus found in Matthew 6:34 where he says, "So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today". And in Matthew 6:27 Jesus says, "Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Of course not". (NLT)
New Year's resolutions! How about New Day resolutions? I remember a scene from the story "Anne of Green Gables" in which Anne is told something like this, "Each day is fresh with no mistakes". Isn't that what God gives us, "each day fresh with no mistakes"? God gives us new opportunities, fresh starts, times to make things right "Every Day".
I would suggest to you that our goals (if we should choose to make them) should be to make it through one day at a time focusing on doing the best we can and serving God the best we can for that day. You see we only get one New Year, but we get 365 new days each year to try and do better. I think you will find that if you focus on living one day at a time it will be much easier than trying to wrap your mind around the whole of the next year.
Some look at the New Year as a place to start fresh and try to over come problems and shortcomings in their lives. For much of the world it is difficult to think any further ahead than today. They must concentrate most of their efforts on what they will find to eat that day or how they will cloth their families or how they will stay warm at night or how they will keep their family safe.
I guess I am much more short sighted than many in our society. New Year's resolutions seem like such a luxury when you think about the rest of the world and not just yourself. In my life I prefer to think of things a day at a time as much as I can. Yes, sometimes I make plans much further in the future than that, but I remember a phrase from Jesus found in Matthew 6:34 where he says, "So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today". And in Matthew 6:27 Jesus says, "Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Of course not". (NLT)
New Year's resolutions! How about New Day resolutions? I remember a scene from the story "Anne of Green Gables" in which Anne is told something like this, "Each day is fresh with no mistakes". Isn't that what God gives us, "each day fresh with no mistakes"? God gives us new opportunities, fresh starts, times to make things right "Every Day".
I would suggest to you that our goals (if we should choose to make them) should be to make it through one day at a time focusing on doing the best we can and serving God the best we can for that day. You see we only get one New Year, but we get 365 new days each year to try and do better. I think you will find that if you focus on living one day at a time it will be much easier than trying to wrap your mind around the whole of the next year.
So I wish you a Happy New Year,one day at a time!
MESSAGES FROM THE HEART by Russ Lawson © 2006. All rights reserved. Sponsored by World Christian Literature Outreach (Please include this line to forward the message).
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