Happy New Year’s. A new year brings new hope along with the feelings of a fresh start, a clean slate. Hopefully, everyone has patched up some things in 2013, so that we all can move forward to what God has for us in 2014. I am overjoyed at how God, the very one who created the world honors my prayers. At the end of 2013, I prayed to God about something that had bothered me that year saying that I did not want to take it into 2014. The very first day of 2014, I was bothered by that thing again, and I guess that was God’s way of letting me know that he was getting ready to deal with it for me at the beginning of the year.
Anywho, an opportunity soon came up for me to share with someone how they we’re offensive to me, and the person responded very well, and I was able to drop that completely right at the beginning of 2014.
What are your focuses for the new year? How can you stay focused? Do you have accountability partners for sins that you struggled with in 2013 that you do not want to struggle with in 2014?
Have you dealt with anger, offenses, bad habits, and lack of discipline in various areas of your life in 2013 that you do not plan to deal with in 2014?
My focus for 2014 came down to three things:
1.) Seeking to please God above myself. Not being selfish, and remembering the dreaded fruit of the spirit long-suffering. Sometimes, when things get uncomfortable for me as a believer I can become selfish and want relief for myself; instead of seeing what God is trying to do in the situation and if he is trying to use the uncomfortable situation to help me or someone else. I have to be reminded that God said that those that follow after him will have to bare their cross. (Matthew 16:24)
2.) Seeking God’s wisdom first in my dealings with guys: This is pretty easy for me. I’ve always sought God about guys. I think this should maybe be to follow God’s wisdom, and receive what he shows me about the men in my life a lot sooner to avoid emotional damage and being distracted by what isn’t for me.
3.) Matthew 11:12 – And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force. This one is basically doing whatever it takes to maintain my deliverance or freedom in certain areas that I’ve struggled with in 2013. Just because we minister the gospel and receive revelation from God doesn’t mean that we are perfect and automatically walk in deliverance over sin. We have to make a conscious effort to obey God in the mist of the pressures of life, the flesh, and temptation.
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