With the Lord’s help, we can remain focused on the plans He would have us make for the New Year.
Eternal Perspectives by Sally Bair
New Year’s Goals
If you’re like me, every January you make a list of new goals for the year. I usually divide mine by month and week, even by day. My goals help keep me focused. But I’ve learned not to make my goalkeeping too rigid. Allowing for interruptions and other changes in plans, I sometimes must rewrite them or add them to tomorrow’s list. I include goals for my physical well-being, my intellect, and especially my spirit.
If I were to rate my successes and failures on a report card, I’d find some A's and B's and, unfortunately, some F's. When I find myself failing, which is often, I reschedule them, sometimes over and over, unwilling to throw them out. Understanding that some failures come from interruptions and changes in plans, I also realize that others are caused by my procrastination and stubbornness. I try to remember to evaluate my list of goals every day. Am I succeeding in reaching them, especially my spiritual goals? Am I spending time in God’s presence and His Word daily? Or have I allowed less important things to distract me from my Creator and Savior? Exactly how important is my faith in Him?
Paul wrote that it is important to keep our focus on the things of God. “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:12) In his letters, Paul often refers to athletes and how they must focus on the finish line during of a race. Runners train themselves to disallow anything to deter or distract them. Believers in Christ are encouraged to do the same. Paul said we must forget the things that are behind us and reach toward the goal ahead. We know it’s impossible to win a race by looking over our shoulder or glancing to the side. To win, we must focus on the goal.
Like Paul, we can choose to forget our past mistakes, grief, and glory. We can choose instead to consider the prize of living both now and forever with God’s forgiveness and love, His presence, power, peace, and joy. There is no greater prize.
Lord, thank You for today and this New Year with all the joys You offer in it. Strengthen our resolve to make Your prize of eternal life, now and forever, our most worthy goal. Show us how to better run Your race and guide us in each step toward that prize. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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