How to Make 2014 Your Best Year Yet
1. Thank God:
Start by thanking God for all He has done for you in the past year. Write it all down. Remembering the good gives us a sense of God being right beside us all along the way. It puts us into a positive mindset, which is a great place to be, much better than the alternative.
Ephesians 5:20
Always give thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (NCV)
Philippians 4:6-7
Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. (MSG)
2. Ask God:
Ask God what direction He wants you to go in this year, then listen.
James 1:5-6
If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You’ll get his help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. (MSG)
3. Follow God:
God will give you a sense of direction and when He does, just go there. It is called faith. Abraham, Noah, David and Paul all had to believe and follow to receive the blessing. We have to do the same.
Proverbs 3:5-6
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6 Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. (NLT)
4. Enjoy Life:
It might surprise a lot of people, even some believers, but God really does want you to enjoy this life He has given you. When you thank God, ask God, and follow God, you find the best life you could possibly live on this Earth.
Ecclesiastes 8:15
So I commend the enjoyment of life, because nothing is better for a man under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany him in his work all the days of the life God has given him under the sun. (NIV)
Jesus said in John 10:10:
“…my purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. (NLT)
I hope and pray that you seek God with all your heart this year, because if you do, You will find His heart is toward you and He will give you the best year yet!
In Jeremiah 29:13-14 God says:
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. (NIV)
Happy New Year!
Pastor Stan