F4S: Seven Things To Do To Have A Horrible New Year

Monday, January 5, 2009

Seven Things To Do To Have A Horrible New Year

How be you so far in this new year? Are you ready for a new President in the White House or do you prefer not to think about that? You know that He and his staff will indeed need our prayers just the same.

It's been a little rainy here in Dallas today. I hear that ice is hanging on the branches of bodark trees not too far north of us here in Texas, so we might get some of that visiting us later on.

Liney and I are really looking forward to 2009.. God has already been answering some of our prayers. It's exciting. We can't control a lot of things that will happen in this nation during the upcoming months, but there are some things we can control. I can control myself and make the right decisions with God's help. Please pray I won't miss Him in anything. Are there prayer

requests and goals you have for this year? Do feel free to let us know and we will be glad to call out your names to the Lord (of course keeping all your needs private if that is what you indicate).

I've anchored in Jesus, the storms of life I'll brave; I've anchored in Jesus, I'll fear no wind or wave. I've anchored in Jesus, for He hath power to save; I've anchored to the Rock of Ages!
—Lewis Edgar Jones

Seven Things To Do To Have A Horrible New Year

That's kind of a silly title huh. Of course I hope you will not have a miserable new year--not even for one day.


And that's why I'm writing this thing. We each can consider the decisions we could potentially make early on ..that would help us to insure that we will have an extremely bad or good year. It's up to us. We each will decide, no matter what happens circumstantially. Some people want to get in Christ and sow to the Spirit rather than to the flesh—they want to know what to avoid in advance, and what to trust God for.


Perhaps last year was really hard for you and your family. Maybe you lost a loved one, broke up with your boy or girlfriend, saw your stock investments take a dive, experienced a divorce, were kicked out of your place of employment or your dwelling. I'm so sorry for that if it was a year of pain for you!


You've more than likely been hurt in your past by a person, an organization etc—who hasn't been? Maybe you've suffered some reversals, some major set-backs, some unexpected trials, some severe testings, or embarrassing failures. Lots of people have.


Whatever it was, it's time to make sure that all our sins are under the blood of Christ; to confess and find forgiveness if needed, to get back up again, to forget the past and press on advancing forwards in the Spirit and in love of Christ. This can be the year that you brush yourself off, forgive other hard-to-love-people and stand up against all the wiles of the real enemy to experience growth and victory like never before. This can be the year that God uses you to reap a harvest as you lead someone or some people into the Kingdom!


But if you think otherwise and really want to experience a miserable year, you could opt to…


1. Worry a whole lot even though Jesus in the Bible commanded: "I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on" (Lk. 12:22). He also said, "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble" (Matt. 6:34). Why would you live in the now with contentment and concern for others and a feeling of gratefulness, expressing genuine thankfulness to God and people if you want a bad year? Worry free living won't help you long if your goal is outside the will of God. You could worry about your portfolio, the administration in Washington, aging, job security, your wayward children or grandchildren… or about your weight, waistline and wardrobe if you so desire to. And God will let you.


2. Fix your attention on ways to get rich quick. You could lounge around in your underwear, bathrobe and fuzzy slippers all day, and attend some webinars about how to buy eight homes only to sell them next week for a profit of $300,000. You could join some new pyramid company where they teach you how to get others working for you so you won't have to.