I hope you had a great start to the New Year! There is a new sense of hope and expectation in our hearts as the New Year begins. Every year is a gift from the Lord! Let’s allow Him to show us how to use this year and be effective in what He desires to do in us and among us!
See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God. Ephesians 5:15-21
Time is Fleeting
The above passage reminds us that time is fleeting and we need to walk with an awareness of the will of God in our lives. A person who does not seek the will of God or is not led by God is unwise. It is easy to be distracted and diverted in many directions when we are not seeking God. Everyone has an opinion about what should be important. We have various trends and influencers telling us what is the latest and greatest.
All the latest trends are like chasing after the wind. It seems important at the moment, but a few months later the subject has changed. Now something else has become the focus of attention. If we give in to the popular opinions, we will be like a ship tossed to and fro not understanding the will of God nor using our time wisely. This will prevent us from being effective and fruitful in our walk with the Lord and serving the Kingdom.
In the last devotional, I wrote about seeking the Lord and asking Him to show us the areas to focus on for growth and improvement. Hopefully, the Lord has directed you and shown you some things that you can focus on in the New Year. The truth is that this year will pass with or without our diligent attention to make the most out of every opportunity. Our time can get wasted or we can redeem it by making it useful for God’s purpose and what He desires on the earth. Why not make the most of our time and use it as He directs us!?
Write Down the Specific Vision
If/when the Lord gives you a certain direction, write down the vision and review it regularly. The more specific you are with the vision, the greater your chance of evaluating your commitment to it. For example, if you want to grow in the knowledge of the Bible, that is a good desire but attempt to be more specific. Decide on how much time you should spend each week studying the Bible. You can even find a study plan to keep you on target.
If you decide you need to exercise more and lose some weight, then have a plan with the number of days you will exercise and the time of the day that it is going to happen. You may also decide to abstain from certain foods or not eat them as frequently.
If you desire to develop new friendships, prayerfully consider what groups you can join that will give allow you to meet more people and possibly make room for developing friendships. You may also need to reach out to those who have been acquaintances for a while and try to spend more time with them. Building relationships in the age of technology is no easy task, but we have to prayerfully stay at it until we see the fruit of it someday.
Give Thanks
As the above scripture reminds us, do everything with giving thanks. It is good to be in the habit of giving thanks for everything the Lord has blessed us with. Giving thanks also helps us to keep the right attitude in relationship to others. You may experience setbacks in your goals, but you can always give thanks for God’s faithfulness and His mercies that are new every morning. He continues to give us opportunities in life that allow us to get back on track and keep moving forward.
I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.
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