New Year, New Beginnings

"See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland."

(Isaiah 43:19)

For those of you who know me well, I don't need to tell how challenging 2011 was for me. Needless to say, I am more than happy to put that most unpleasant of years behind me, and look forward to a much better and brighter 2012. So yes, I'm looking forward to some streams springing up in my desert.

Obviously, there is nothing magical about turning the page of the calendar from December 31 to January 1 that suddenly changes our lives. It's really just another 24-hour day in a seemingly endless stream of days. But psychologically, culturally, and even spiritually, there is something significant about starting a new year that gives us hope for better tomorrows and cleansing from yesterdays. A new year provides a delineation between the old and the new, the past and the future. On this one day of the year, we get to wipe our proverbial slates clean and start all over. Of course, we get that opportunity every morning when we wake up. Lamentations 3:23 tells us that God's compassions are "new every morning", meaning that He gives us a clean tablet of life to write on every day.

But the new year is a BIG tablet - more like a giant storyboard, where we get to set goals for ourselves (call them resolutions if you want). We plan out a course of action that is designed to make our lives better and more fulfilling, to make us better people and friends and family members, and to give our lives a sense of structure and purpose. These goals/resolutions should go beyond "I'm going to lose weight or stop smoking or pay off my credit cards". They should have a much deeper impact on who we are, not just what we do or how we look.

With that in mind, I present Eight Godly Resolutions for the New Year. This is something I put in my church bulletins every year when I had my church, and I've also shared them elsewhere over the years. They are timeless because they are based on scriptural principles. and can be applied to all of our lives, regardless of our personal circumstances. They are also something that we never accomplish once and move on - they require ongoing work to achieve and maintain - so you'll probably see them here again next January, if Jesus tarries and the Mayans were wrong.

Have a safe, blessed and prosperous 2012!

Pastor David

Eight Godly Resolutions for the New Year

 1.    I will destroy all roots of bitterness by forgiving those who have hurt me and accepting forgiveness from others (Ephesians 4:29-32)

2.    I will not be satisfied living on yesterday’s spiritual blessings and nourishment (Exodus 16:13-21)

3.    I will make sure God is at the top of my priority list (Mark 12:28-31)

4.    I will let my closest friends be those that will positively influence my walk with God (Psalm 1:1; Psalm 119:63)

5.    I will seek to live at peace with everyone (Romans 12:16-18)

6.    I will commit myself to serving others (Philippians 2:1- 4)

7.    I will ask God for a renewed vision for lost souls (1 Corinthians 9:9-23)

8.    I will ask God for new opportunities to witness to others (Colossians 4:2-6; 1 Peter 3:15)