Phil 3:13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. NKJV
Here are some comments that relate to starting the New Year well,.
1. We can know how God has helped people in the past and can help us too. We can bring our prayer requests to our Heavenly Father, in the Name of Jesus.
2. We can know we are a child of God. We go with God’s view of ourselves rather than what others may have in mind.
3. We use the gifts and talents we have been entrusted with for the glory of God. We can be fruitful in his kingdom. We have the great Commission to go into all the world and preach the gospel.
4. It is not by might, nor by power but by the Holy Spirit. As we abide in the Lord Jesus Christ, we can be a blessing to others where ever we are.
5. We are about our Father’s business. We choose to do what will be tried as silver and gold rather than hay and stubble. He that wins souls is wise.
When it comes to time management, we each have 168 hours a week. Even with sleep taking 56 hours and work taking 50 hours (with commute), it still leaves 62 hours that we can manage and use toward God given purposes. While getting in daily exercise can be healthy, there is no need to overdo it. We can make use of even small increments of time. While smart phones can be used for reading, checking messages and note taking, we can give thought going forward of how much time we spend on media and gadgets. And of course, to put it mildly, sin is a dangerous time waster, an unneeded detour and a deterrent to being what God can do in and through us. There are people who are waiting on the other side of our obedience.
In Dallas, there are churches that have prayer and worship times. Prayer set times are posted on church websites. Some start at 6 am, Monday through Friday. One can go listen to live worship music, prayers and then pray individually. While I can do the same at home, it still helps to do prayer with others. In some churches, one give feel the Holy Spirit in a greater way just walking in, making it very easy to pray. We pray and trust God to give us opportunities to speak to and bless others, make our path straight, to give us wisdom, to give us insight and to give us strength during the day.
When it comes to planning for the year, what can be accomplished this year? We trust God to instruct us and teach us in the way we should go. Just as Noah had a plan for the ark and Moses had a plan for the tabernacle, we trust God to give us plans and to lead us by His Holy Spirit. Just as an engineer gets the an overall building plan from an architect and then fills in his portion, we do our part in the planning and follow through process.
5 things we can always do as a Christian:
1. We can always pray.
2. We can always worship God.
3. We can always plant God’s Word into our lives; we can study it, meditate on it and speak it.
4. We can always give to God, to the church and help the poor; we can love God and those around us.
5. We can always tell others the Good News that Jesus Christ is the Savior and that people can be saved.