Psalms
27:4-5 NLT The one thing I ask of the LORD—the thing I seek
most—is to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, delighting in
the LORD's perfections and meditating in His Temple. 5 For He will conceal me
there when troubles come; He will hide me in His sanctuary. He will place me
out of reach on a high rock.
It
is
traditional for many people to make a list of New Year’s resolutions, goals for
the upcoming year to make a difference in their lives. Here are four things I
highly recommend to place on your to-do list for 2015.
1. Don’t worry about anything. The Message Bible says it best. In Matthew 6:34 MSG “Give your
entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about
what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard
things come up when the time comes.”
Worry is the opposite of faith and will steal your joy. Worry is
counter-productive to accomplishing God’s goals for your life.
2. Pray about everything. Philippians
4:6 NASB “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” If you are looking
for something to do, PRAY instead of worrying. Prayer is nothing more than
talking to God, having a conversation with the Almighty, who is the only one
who can do something about your situation. Prayer is a monologue, not a dialog.
When you talk with God, listen for His response. The voice of God will calm the
most anxious soul and mind. And the peace of God, which surpasses all
comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians
4:7 NASB
3. Thank God in all things. Philippians 4:6 NASB “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Thanksgiving is an act of faith.
4. Think about the right things. Philippians 4:8 MSG says it best, “Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by
filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic,
compelling, gracious--the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly;
things to praise, not things to curse.”
If you ask anyone, he or she would probably say there were things they
didn’t like about last year. They would probably also say some good things
happened, too. In between the mountains there are valleys. Ups and downs are
what life is all about. But - you have a choice as to what you will dwell on.
Choose the good because God is good and He is good to you. Refuse to
give the devil any of your time. Don’t rent any space in your mind to him!
I pray that you and your
families will have a prosperous, healthy, and joyous 2015.
Happy New Year!
