Here is an online article I read today and I felt it was worth sharing with all of you. I pray you've all had a happy start to this new year, and I hope to see you all in Family Ties this Sunday!
Hope for the New Year
By Gwen Miller
The approach of a new year is a time of hope. Everyone likes the thought of a clean slate—a new beginning. As we look ahead, many people set goals or blow off the dust from previously set goals.
When January rolls around, there are generally two groups of people, those who make New Year’s resolutions and those who don’t. Do you make resolutions or do you choose to refrain? I admit, I have been in both camps.
Several times I have set health and fitness goals. I have aspired to greater spiritual disciplines. One year I determined to shore up in the area of housekeeping. One January I had a new baby. She was my fourth child—I already had three little boys at home, ages 5, 3 and 22 months. I remember my New Year’s resolution that year was to maintain a peaceful balance in my home.
Whatever kind of goals you set, the new year can be a time of valuable reflection. Proverbs 4:26 (Amplified) says, “Consider well the path of your feet and let all your ways be established and ordered aright.” Taking time to consider our life’s path demonstrates wisdom. After all, we are the sum total of all the choices we have made.
Life evaluation can inspire hope. God created us to thrive on hope—the hope of one day experiencing the perfection of His original plan. Remember the Garden of Eden? It was certainly a place of perfection. But all that changed when sin entered the world. With sin came death, pain, sorrow, sickness, disease and every negative emotion we can encounter—like hopelessness.
Hopelessness unchecked can be a downward spiral ending in depression and despair. We believers must guard our hearts, taking time to renew our hope. How? By spending time in God’s Word.
When we remind ourselves of the love of God and the plan He has for us, we grow in strength and joy. Psalm 139 is a testimony of God’s attention to every detail of our lives. Why not take a few moments to read it?
God remembers things about our lives that we have already forgotten. He knows more about us than we do. He is a God of magnitude and detail. He cares about every little thing that concerns us. The most valuable thing we can do as we approach a new year is to get His perspective on life.
Set aside some time to evaluate where you’ve been, where you are and where you’re headed. You may want to take a weekend and get away by yourself or with your spouse for a time of regrouping and seeking God’s direction for the next step. If you can’t afford a mini-vacation, you can take several hours on a Saturday morning and find a quiet place with your Bible and notebook to ask God for His vision for you in the coming year.
New Year’s resolutions may or may not insure a more productive year. But renewed hope based on a heavenly vision for the year ahead will make your life richer in every way.
GWEN MILLER lives in Fort Worth, Texas, with her husband of 18 years and four children. Gwen assists her husband, who pastors a growing church. She enjoys teaching others to walk out their God ordained destinies. She can be reached at chapelassembly@att.net.
By Gwen Miller
The approach of a new year is a time of hope. Everyone likes the thought of a clean slate—a new beginning. As we look ahead, many people set goals or blow off the dust from previously set goals.
When January rolls around, there are generally two groups of people, those who make New Year’s resolutions and those who don’t. Do you make resolutions or do you choose to refrain? I admit, I have been in both camps.
Several times I have set health and fitness goals. I have aspired to greater spiritual disciplines. One year I determined to shore up in the area of housekeeping. One January I had a new baby. She was my fourth child—I already had three little boys at home, ages 5, 3 and 22 months. I remember my New Year’s resolution that year was to maintain a peaceful balance in my home.
Whatever kind of goals you set, the new year can be a time of valuable reflection. Proverbs 4:26 (Amplified) says, “Consider well the path of your feet and let all your ways be established and ordered aright.” Taking time to consider our life’s path demonstrates wisdom. After all, we are the sum total of all the choices we have made.
Life evaluation can inspire hope. God created us to thrive on hope—the hope of one day experiencing the perfection of His original plan. Remember the Garden of Eden? It was certainly a place of perfection. But all that changed when sin entered the world. With sin came death, pain, sorrow, sickness, disease and every negative emotion we can encounter—like hopelessness.
Hopelessness unchecked can be a downward spiral ending in depression and despair. We believers must guard our hearts, taking time to renew our hope. How? By spending time in God’s Word.
When we remind ourselves of the love of God and the plan He has for us, we grow in strength and joy. Psalm 139 is a testimony of God’s attention to every detail of our lives. Why not take a few moments to read it?
God remembers things about our lives that we have already forgotten. He knows more about us than we do. He is a God of magnitude and detail. He cares about every little thing that concerns us. The most valuable thing we can do as we approach a new year is to get His perspective on life.
Set aside some time to evaluate where you’ve been, where you are and where you’re headed. You may want to take a weekend and get away by yourself or with your spouse for a time of regrouping and seeking God’s direction for the next step. If you can’t afford a mini-vacation, you can take several hours on a Saturday morning and find a quiet place with your Bible and notebook to ask God for His vision for you in the coming year.
New Year’s resolutions may or may not insure a more productive year. But renewed hope based on a heavenly vision for the year ahead will make your life richer in every way.
GWEN MILLER lives in Fort Worth, Texas, with her husband of 18 years and four children. Gwen assists her husband, who pastors a growing church. She enjoys teaching others to walk out their God ordained destinies. She can be reached at chapelassembly@att.net.
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