Keeping Your Promise

“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” – Galatians 6:10

Here we are 21 days into the New Year, 2019.  How are the resolutions coming along?  Still on track, still remaining consistent and committed to achieving the goals that have been set?  Each year the majority of us will sit down and think through the areas of our life that we would like to improve.  Some of the most common resolutions involve losing weight, time management, eating healthier and loving more.  This is not a new phenomenon, it has been going on for centuries as we come to the end of one year and look for new beginnings; a chance to wipe the slate clean and start over.  If you think about it, January 1^st was just another day; no different than December 31^st or January 2^nd.  Yet, within each of us there was a sense of renewal and an increased commitment to change certain things about our life that we may be unhappy with.

I propose to you that this not need be a once a year experience, and that every day you have the opportunity to start afresh in the Lord.  Walk in His light each day, and know that He will walk with you if you so choose.  Set goals for the day and then reconcile nightly on the achievements.  Start small, a few key objectives for the day and then progress to larger, farther reaching goals.  If you don’t have a journal or place to record these goals, than I highly suggest you buy one today.  It can be as simple as a spiral notebook, just something to record your thoughts and write down your daily goals.  This gives you the ability to review throughout the year where you have had success.

Secondly, lift these goals to God each and every day.  Ask Him for the help to achieve these goals and share His message with others.  He is your strength when it seems you cannot reach or live up to the targets and commitments you have made.  The Holy Spirit living within becomes your accountability coach, reminding you of what you are trying to achieve.  Keep in mind that the whole point of a New Years resolution is to improve one’s self and to become a better influence on those around you.  The opportunities are there every day, you need to decide how you are going to pursue them and then lean on the Holy Spirit to help you fulfill them.

A daily list might look something like this:
1.  Today, I resolve to refrain from using vulgar language
2.  Today, I resolve to listen intently when others are speaking
3.  Today, I resolve to eat more healthy foods – vegetables and fruit; rather than sweets

It’s important to realize that God’s love is not dependent upon you achieving this list each day.  He will not love you more if you are perfect at keeping your resolutions, than He does if you fail at all of them.  The goal here is not to do good things to be worthy of His love, it is to improve your character and your focus on Him.  His love for you is unchanging regardless.  Go ahead, make a list for today and let’s get started on a great 2019, there are still 344 days ahead.



© Sondove Enterprises, 2019
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What a Beautiful Day.

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“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” – Ecclesiastes 3:11

I have a friend who is an incredible gifted photographer.  He shoots pictures of animals, people, landscapes, sunrises, the sky, nature and industry with such magnificence.  We look at a street of old abandoned buildings, broken windows and walls that have collapsed upon themselves, and he has the skill and wisdom of exactly how to shoot a picture of unbelievable romance and beauty.  What we might view as depressing and broken, he is able to capture with life and purpose.  It comes down to a perspective and seeing the beauty in all things.

So it is with God’s view of you and your life.  You look at the negative from yesterday and it haunts your thoughts and causes you to be depressed, worried and ashamed.  God’s perspective though is that of wonder, life and purpose.  He is looking at the span of your life in which there are many negative activities and thoughts, but there are even more positive and encouraging actions and thoughts.  We tend to focus on the negative because it leaves us with a challenge to improve.  He focuses on the positives in your life because it represents the real you.

Your life will span 29,200 days (average lifespan of 80 years), or 42 million minutes.  In that span of time you will influence 10’s of thousands of people in a positive manner or a negative, the choice is yours.  Circumstances will occur and you will do things that you regret, but you will also do amazing things that you will brush off as nothing.  What percent of your day are you focusing on the good you bring to this world vs. the wrongs you have done?  If it’s a 50/50 split, that is 14,600 days of your life or 40 years.  Keeping in mind that time is linear, once you have lived it, there is no 2^nd chance.  Your choice to carry the negative with you actually shortens your life through stress, worry, anger (raises blood pressure), loneliness and regret you are giving up precious moments in this life that you could be joyful and happy. 

Yes, I realize that life is hard and nobody is perfectly happy all the time.  But, we must admit that we tend to exaggerate the negative and minimize the positives in our life.  I propose to you today to focus on removing the negative as quickly as it enters.  Spend less than 10% (100 minutes) of your waking day today dwelling on the negative and seek the positive for the remaining 90%.  Give the negative to God when it happens, let it go and move on.  He has promised to remove it as far as the east is from the west, so it is no longer present.  Ask for forgiveness right away from whom you have wronged, and likewise grant forgiveness to those that have wronged you.  Dwelling on a situation and carrying it with you only leads to furthering the negativity in your life.

God has a beautiful day planned for you.  Rid your mind of the negative thoughts and live out His blessings as thoroughly as possible.

© Sondove Enterprises, 2014
For more Daily Thoughts go to: http://sondove.blogspot.com
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