The Year in Review
and a New Start!
Ephesians 5:14-16
Be very careful, then,
how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity,
because the days are evil.
-The unexamined life
is not worth living.
Socrates
Sometimes we as believers don’t always to so well when it comes to honest self-evaluation. Even our worship and church/ministry activities can become an empty monotony that we repeat weekly without making any real, meaningful changes in our lives.
I love New Year’s Day. I know another year means I’m getting a year older and that I’ll write the wrong date for a few weeks, but I still love it. This celebration allows me to have sort of a personal “year in review.” I encourage you to experience this process with me.
Putting off the old
self, putting on the new!
Ephesians 4:22-24
You were taught, with
regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being
corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your
minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness
and holiness.
I want to get rid of more of the “old self” and to put on the “new self” more than ever before in 2006! Here are six questions that I challenge you to go through with me:
Are there any habitual sins that haunted you in 2005? Why not make 2006 the year that you gain victory over this sin! Get rid of the sin that his entangling you and hindering your spiritual growth (Hebrews 12:1). This would lead to a major breakthrough in your spiritual walk. You will hear God more clearly, be more sensitive to His voice, and know the sweet intimacy that comes with obeying Him.
Could you improve your spiritual discipline for 2006? Most of us have room for improvement in this area. Make 2006 a year that you are more committed than ever to spend time with God on a daily basis. Your daily devotional time (or lack thereof) will make or break your spiritual life—period. You also may need to be more committed in your corporate spiritual disciplines (attending church, etc).
Did you waste too much time last year on things that lacked eternal value? I’m not saying that everything we do has to be “spiritual.” I am saying that we have a tendency to spend more time than we intended on entertainment, hobbies, etc. Who, for example, wants this to be written on your tombstone:
“He watched a lot of Television. He never missed an episode of . . .”
Pretty pathetic, huh?
Well, we have a tendency to daily
invest time in things that are empty. The time ads up, and before you know it, you
have wasted countless hours on worthless things. The Bible urges us to make the most of our
limited time here on earth (Ephesians
Are there any decisions that you have been putting off? It may be that God is leading you to join a church, become involved with a certain ministry, make a career change, take better care of your body, or a number of other possible decisions. Maybe you have told yourself you will do it “next week” for the past fifty-two weeks! Why delay any longer if God has clearly spoken to you?
Is your life going in the direction that will most glorify God? This is a pretty general question, and could mean a lot of different things. I am simply asking if you (and your family) are in the place where God wants you to be, doing what God wants you to do. Paul prayed that the Philippians would be able to know what is “best” or “excellent,” depending on the translation of the Bible you use (Philippians 1:10). Make this a year that you live in the absolute center of God’s will for you. Don’t settle for good when God wants what is best!
Were you a good steward of your finances in 2005? Did you tithe and give offerings to the Lord? Did you spend your money wisely last year? Are you in debt right now? Are you saving money? Consider last year’s spending and see if the Lord would have you make any changes.
Here’s one final challenge I’ll give you for this New Year—get an accountability partner! I think one of the greatest failures in modern church life is a lack of real accountability. Choose someone of the same sex and maturity level that you can be completely honest with. Meet with this person once a week and ask each other about your personal lives. I have a list of accountability questions I’d be happy to email to you if you are interested.
As
iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.
-Proverbs 27:17
This year I’ve committed to meet with an accountability partner—one of my fellow ministry teammates. I’m looking forward to the added discipline this will bring into both of our lives.
I hope and pray that 2006 will be a year of godly excellence for you and your family!
©Kevin Sanders, 2005