2018 has been a year full of ups and downs.
Maybe you got a new job, had a child, got married, or traveled to somewhere new and exciting. Maybe you got a raise or were able to retire. There were blessings in your life, even if they seemed small. And with a new year comes a time to reflect on the last one and thank God for the good He provided.
Though there was good in your life, you probably also experienced struggles and trials though, which made the year difficult.
Maybe you attended far too many funerals, all with a saddened, heavy heart, remembering lives that touched yours, and saying goodbye to those souls as they went to heaven before you. Maybe you lost a job or a friendship went sour. You probably experienced some sort of heartbreak, which made 2018 hard to bear. It is inevitable. With the good comes the bad in life.
Each year our faith is challenged, our integrity is questioned, our joy is squelched, our disappointment is heightened, and sometimes our love is even unwanted. Through all of that though, we should be able to see God’s hand holding us, keeping us safe from the heartache and perils of this world.
This year came with the good and the bad, as every year does. And as a new one begins, we are faced with the decision of what to resolve for the 12 months ahead of us.
Rather than make physical resolutions that we most likely won’t keep, I challenge you to make spiritual ones instead. After all, our walk with God is by far the most important aspect of our lives.
So for 2019, I want to challenge all of us to do the following things:
1. Love those around you (especially those who are unlovable) with a deeper sense of compassion, because Jesus loves each of us, and died for all, not just a chosen few.
2. Seek to see God in at least one thing every single day that you didn’t see the day before. He is in every aspect of our lives, but we often forget to look for His hand guiding and blessing us.
3. Take time out of every single day to pray, not for the things we want, but for thanksgiving and praise to God for blessing us the way He has when we all are so undeserving.
4. Wake up daily with the intent to battle Satan at every turn, so that he will never have a hold on you.
5. Trust God’s plan for your life over the plans you are making. When things fall apart, remember He is in control, and submit to His decision for you.
I think if we work hard to maintain those 5 things as goals for this upcoming year, 2019 will be full of blessings from above.
Remember that God is and always will be the most powerful thing in our lives. We have to surrender to Him if we want to find joy in all things.
May 2019 be a year that you seek Him first.
