A Recipe For The Best Year Ever
Is it just me, or does it seem that time goes faster and faster every year? Here we are at the start of a new year, which feels like a new beginning. I have great anticipation and expectation for what lies ahead.
And yes, I am one that likes to set goals. I write them down and plan how to accomplish those goals. A new year means a fresh start. I like what Paul says in Philippians 3:13-14, "but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."
Step 1 Release the Past
The wisdom that Paul has here is so extremely valid for us today. The first instruction he shares is to forget about those things which are behind. To grow, it takes letting go of those things that hold us back. The start of the new year is the perfect demarcation – a drawing in the sand, if you will, to releasing negative emotions, feelings, and even failures if they keep you from moving forward.
The last two years have been unbelievably hard. Almost everyone I know has gone through a rough time - even if it is the stress from the world around us. Although we can't do anything about what has happened, we do have a choice about how we let those things affect us. Maybe you need to release the last year – let it go (cue the music) and keep your eyes focused on what lies ahead.
My son was a cross country runner when he was in high school. One of the things that I heard coaches yell would be, "Don't look behind you!" Why? Because it would slow them down. They couldn't run their best race while looking behind them or focusing on other runners around them. No, they needed to focus on their own race and the runner in front of them to pass until they reached the finish line. Perhaps that's you. Maybe you simply need to stop comparing yourself to others and run your own race.
Step 2 Reach Forward
The second part of Paul's instruction is to reach forward to those things which are ahead. You can't move forward well while looking behind you and carrying the weight of your past with you. What do you think would happen if one of those cross-country runners decided to run with a backpack of weights? It is safe to say that that runner wouldn't be standing on the winner's podium. They would get weary from the added weight.
Do you have a "weight" slowing you down? (besides the weight that we all found over the holidays - amirite?) Have you been carrying unforgiveness, fear, heartache, or disappointments? If so, it's time to release those things to God and look forward with anticipation for your future.
Step 3 Press In
The final instruction Paul gives is to press toward the goal. What are the goals that you have? If you don't have any goals, what are you aiming at? What are you anticipating and looking forward to? Who are you influencing around you? If nothing else, we should have the goal of taking as many people to Heaven with us. We should have an unquenchable desire to share the gospel of Jesus.
You might feel like pressing into what God has for you is just too big of a task. You might feel like a failure before you even start. However, that is what God's grace is for. His grace helps you go beyond what you can do yourself. His grace empowers you to keep going because He adds His strength to yours.
Step 4 Receive God's Grace
This month we are focusing on the subject of grace here at Schaffer Ministries. If you are new to this subject, I encourage you to take advantage of all of the resources that we have made available to you. You can download them for a donation of any amount.
Seek Him - Grace
Contains:
- Bible Reading Plan
- Gratitude Journal
- Guided Devotion
Renew - Grace
This a digital magazine containing a daily scripture and confession to help you grow in grace.
You can also check out mini devotionals on our social media Instagram and Facebook pages each day.
Grace is a free gift from God to you. It enables you to:
1. Come as you are and be made clean from your sins.
You don't have to do a thing but accept and receive this gift. If you have never asked Jesus into your heart, that's the first place to start leaving your past behind. Ephesians 2:8 says, "by grace, you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God." Simply pray these words:
Heavenly Father, I come to You in the Name of Jesus. Your Word says, "Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Acts 2:21). I am calling on You. I pray and ask Jesus to come into my heart and be Lord over my life. I repent of sin. I renounce it. I reject the devil and everything he stands for. Jesus is my Lord! Amen
If you have asked Jesus into your life before but have drifted away from Him, pray:
Father, I thank you for the gift of grace you have given me. Although I haven't been living for you, I know you love me. I repent of my sins, turn from a lifestyle of sin, and commit to living for you – forgiven, free, and accepted by you. Amen
If you prayed either one of those prayers for the first time, we have some material that we can send to you to help you get started with your faith journey. Just fill out your mailing information by clicking the button below, and we will mail it out to you free of charge.
2. Be strengthened for whatever life brings you.
The gift of grace provides precisely what you need – especially when going through a rough time. (Read Unexpected Grace here.) I refer to it as your X factor. Depending on the problem, the letter x could represent any number in algebra. Well, grace is just like that. It will make up the difference of what you are missing in the problem you face. Look for more on strengthening grace in next week's post.
3. Helps you in whatever God has called you to do.
This type of grace is referred to as ministering grace. That doesn't mean that only ministers have this type of grace. It is a grace in your life to do your job, raise your kids, love the unlovely, and give of your time and talents. We will also be discussing this type of grace in depth!
My prayer for you today is that you can forget those things from your past - the things that are holding you back from living your best life. I pray that you will make a choice to come to God and let Him hold you, comfort you, and give you wisdom for your future. I pray that you press forward into all that God has for you for this year.
Do you have a goal for this year that you feel God is leading you to? If so, please share by commenting below so we can cheer each other on to walk out God's plan for your life. Amen?!