December 29, 2007
December 29, 2007
Successful Christian Living brings you monthly information, advice and resources for living a Christ-centered life in every area.
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In this issue...
1) A different kind of New Year's Resolution
2) Difficult relationships
A Quick Focus
No matter how your day has gone so far, no matter how hectic it is, no matter your state of mind right now - Christ is with you.I invite you to close your eyes for just a few seconds. During that time just allow yourself to know that He is present with you. Let yourself know that He loves you, is there with you because He wants to be, and that He has a plan for not only this day but all your days.
If you find something in the way then clear it up with Him right now. If that leaves no time to read the rest of this then don't read it. Your relationship with Christ is THE most important thing in your life.
When you feel at peace - not that everything in your life is perfect - just that you know He is with you, then I invite you now to the rest of the ezine.
A Different Kind of New Year's Resolution
It is that time of year when we take stock of the twelve months we’ve just lived and start to plan for the next twelve. We make resolutions to change what we don’t like and fix what is broken. Usually those resolutions are forgotten and tossed aside by February.Let’s try something different this year.
For the first month of 2008, make no resolutions, no promises to change, no strict guidelines you can’t keep. Instead, rest with Christ and see what happens.
Imagine for a moment taking a month to seek after God. Every day you would be quietly with Him for a period of time each day. You would sit and talk with Him about your life and dreams, your hopes and duties. And…you would spend time listening too.
Could a month of conversations with Christ possibly set the course for your year?
So often we make our resolutions without checking to see what God wants to work on in us. We may think that losing weight is THE priority when He may think that working on developing a character trait in us is the main priority. Certainly we want to be healthy to live fully before God and in order to make an impact on this world, but we can gain the “perfect” body and still be immature and unhealthy in our spirit.
The point is that God has plans for our lives – we should spend time with Him so that He can fill us in on them.
Want some help with spending time with God? Try daily emails on Practicing the Presence of God or Silence and Solitude. Together there are six weeks of encouragement and instruction. If they will help, then sign up for them.
Make your New Year’s resolution to seek after the face of God and then follow Him the rest of the year.
Difficult Relationships Are Good For Us
I know a woman who seems to always be unhappy and angry. The words she speaks to her husband and children have a bitter edge and you could put “you idiot” at the end of almost every sentence she speaks and it would fit well. Being around her is grating. She complains about everything and I have never seen her content.Those of us who are around her complain together. We are offended and outraged by the way she treats others. As we talked about this recently, we realized how hard it must be to be her. How horrible it must be to always be angry at life and so contemptuous towards others. She has no joy anywhere in her – how sad and painful that must be.
Rather than harboring a dislike of her, I have decided to pray for her instead. She desperately needs it. I am praying that the Lord will provide healing for her, that He would give her peace, that she would be enabled to experience the joy of His love, that He would set her free.
I am also praying that He would give me a deep love for her, one that would desire to continually bring her to Him in pray. I am praying that He would show me ways to gently intervene in words and actions that will not offend but heal.
Some people are in our lives so that we can love them enough to pray for them and seek God’s healing on their behalf.
Giving up our "right" to be offended, self-righteous and indignant humbles us so that we can pray. As we pray, we are transformed. When we truly seek God's help for someone we haven't liked or who has been difficult for us, our own hearts become more gentle, more compassionate and more forgiving.
Difficult people help us to grow to be like Christ. Who is that person or persons in your life? Would you be willing to pray for them? You may be the only one who will.
One Last Thing
Lord, we thank you for our lives. There are ups and downs, great joys and pains, hopes and dreams and always there is You.May we walk through this year intimately with You. May the knowing of Your presence with us moment by moment soften us and cause us to take on your character.
Next year at this time, may we look back and see Your loving hand throughout our days and may we have lived in a way that has blessed You.
We seek Your face, Your guidance and Your loving presence for 2008.