
One thing you can do to try to get control of your own situation is to set some quality New Year's resolutions to follow. Think of them as goals to guide your actions. That way, you can focus on what you want to happen in your life and even though fate certainly controls some things, you can get a handle on the rest. It will make you better prepared to deal with everything you face, including those things that are beyond your control.
So the question becomes really one of self control. What do I want to accomplish next year? Why do I want to accomplish it and how can I make it happen? Answering those questions will go a long way to keeping you on track in the future.
I must confess I have not been a good resolution maker or keeper myself over the years. Oh, I have set some tentative goals but have never really done the work to keep them in place and I've decided it's largely because they have only been symbolic. Never have I carefully evaluated my life in depth and then tried to formulate a plan with resolve going forward. And what's more, I have right in front of me own eyes the goal that I should always work on yet I just have never seen to look at it carefully. And I'm sure you are thinking, what could that be?
Simply put, the obvious goal to follow day-by-day is putting Christ first in my life. Oh, I consider myself a good Christian, I read and study the Bible, teach Sunday school and attend church regularly and pray, but I have never really formulated a written plan to meet my ultimate objective which is life with Him for eternity when this life is done. So that's what I am going to do this year, starting with putting a simple message on my bathroom mirror to see each morning when I shave: Put Jesus First.
Here's the deal, folks. Jesus loves us and wants us to live for Him. He promises that if we live for Him he will ultimately care for us even though He will throw some challenges at us along the way. He challenges us to make sure we are genuine, but He promises to never give us more than we can handle. So by following His guidance in our daily life, from the way we live at home to the way we handle things at work or out and about in a difficult world, we will be afforded ultimate peace and comfort. And it all starts with faith, for if we have faith in Him living our life for Him becomes a natural. And it's not a difficult resolution to make but, yes, sometimes the implementation might be tough because of the ever-present temptations thrown at us by Satan, the Fallen Angel. Satan is working hard in these troubled times, for he knows his time is short and that when the appointed time for Jesus to return arrives, he is finished.
There is a great organization entitled I Am Second (IamSecond.com), it even carries the twitter #IamSecond hashtag, and it can give you some aid and pointers. It can be located at IamSecond.com. It might be worth a look; I know it has helped me to realize that using putting Him first as a New Year's resolution gives me even more incentive to follow through routinely. And that's the thing about the Christian faith: the more you practice the better you get at it. It's habit forming if you give it a chance.
I hope you all will be thinking about where you want to head for the rest of your life and consider using a powerful resolution to help you navigate your way. But whatever angle you take, just know that the Lord is always there for you to help, you just need to call upon Him. But go ahead and enjoy the fun and fellowship of the celebration tomorrow, just be ready to hit the road running for Glory when it's time to get to work. God bless you each and every one.