Most families have traditions that coincide with special times of the year. One of our traditions is to take a multi-state tour to visit family during the week between Christmas and New Year's Day. We begin the week by visiting my father and my sisters, then we travel further north to visit Andrea's parents. After a few days with them, we drive south to spend time with Andrea's sister and some of our friends in the Pittsburgh area. The week always culminates with a New Year's Eve party hosted by some of our good friends who live a few minutes from my sister-in-law. I hope this is a tradition we can keep going for a while.
The dawning of a new year is also a great time to take stock of what you're presently doing, and what you need to change. In the final weeks of the past year, I gave a lot of thought to this coming year and wrestled through some changes and improvements that I believe the Lord would like me to make. I think I have my list boiled down to five critical areas, and in just a few moments I'm going to share them with you.
As I share my list, and my rationale for making it, I would encourage you to be thinking about what the Lord would also like you to be focusing on. Maybe something from my list should also be on your list. If so, please adopt it as your own and let's give Jesus glory together this year.
I. Aim for what matters most
"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." (Matthew 6:33)
The kingdom of God is a concept that is spoken of multiple times in Scripture. His kingdom is quite different from the kingdoms of man. The kingdoms of man are typically built on the shaky foundations of selfish ambition, unhealthy accumulation, and the attempt to obtain power over others. But the kingdom of God is much healthier than that, and the goals of His kingdom are further reaching that the goals of mere earthly kingdoms.
The kingdom of God can be experienced wherever He rules and reigns. The Bible teaches that there is going to come a day when Jesus Christ will physically and personally reign over this earth with complete benevolence and justice. That's certainly an important aspect of the kingdom of God that we ought to look forward to. As we await that day, we're also invited to welcome Christ to reign with His benevolence and justice in our hearts and lives.
So if I'm going to truly aim for what matters most in this coming year, I'm going to need to stay focused on the kingdom of God, not the kingdoms of man or my own personal kingdom. Christ has invited me to seek His kingdom and receive the gift of His righteousness. Therefore, whatever I do in this coming year needs to be very intentionally dedicated to honoring Him and elevating His name in praise.
II. Remove unhealthy clutter
"God is not a God of disorder but of peace." (1 Corinthians 14:33, CSB)
At a young age, probably around 8-years-old, I started to realize that I didn't like clutter. Believe it or not, my parents didn't have to ask me to clean my room. It was usually the cleanest and most organized room in our home. My teachers didn't need to ask me to clean my desk or my locker. It was usually very organized. I work better, think better, and get more accomplished when I'm not surrounded by clutter.
It probably wouldn't surprise you to learn that one of the aspects of God's character that I appreciate most is the fact that His is orderly. Scripture tells us that He is not a God of disorder but of peace. There is order to His creation. He operates according to His perfect plan, and He is making sense out of the disorder we brought into this world when we rebelled against Him. The Father is taking the chaos and conflict we stirred up and He's steering things in the direction of order and peace that He's facilitating through His Son, Jesus Christ.
Our lives can become easily cluttered, and that clutter can often be more consequential than a room that needs a good purging. Sometimes our lives become cluttered with obligations that it's time to hand off to someone else, affiliations that it's time to end, and relationships that it's time to alter, amend, or terminate.
Can you identify anything or anyone you've invited into your life that doesn't belong there any longer? What's preventing you from removing what you need to remove or changing what you need to change? I suspect it's the opinions of someone else who may want you to hold on to that clutter forever.
Some years ago, several larger items were left to me from the personal belongings of a family member that passed away. Truthfully, I didn't want or have need for them so I gave them to family members who did need them. I didn't feel bad about giving these items away because to me they would have become clutter. My love for that relative has no correlation or connection whatsoever to the possessions they left behind. As you can imagine, my decision to give those items away was not looked upon favorably by some members of my family, but I can live with that. I made the right decision for myself and my household. It's wise to resist receiving the clutter others may try to force upon you.
III. Filter my influences
"Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;" (Psalm 1:1)
"Can a man carry fire next to his chest and his clothes not be burned?" (Proverbs 6:27)
I love how the book of Psalms begins. In the opening verse of the book, David speaks of a blessed man. He tells us that a blessed man doesn't walk in the counsel of the wicked, stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of scoffers. There's a progression that takes place in these verses. When we get involved in unhealthy things, we tend to first walk toward them, then stand near them, then sit among them. But blessed is the man who doesn't treat sin casually or welcome its influence into his life.
I also greatly appreciate the counsel David's son, Solomon gave us in Proverbs 6. He used the analogy of attempting to carry fire next to your chest. Doing so is most certainly going to result in burning your clothing. It's not possible to carry fire close to your body without getting singed or burned by it.
The influences we welcome into our lives operate in the same fashion. We will be directly impacted by what we allow to get close to us. We will be changed by what we permit to influence us. I have seen that in my life many times. I have also seen that happen to those I care about.
For that reason, I have decided to become much more intentional about what I allow to influence me. In recent months, I have become more active in filtering my news sources, my entertainment sources, and my usage of social media. I want my mind to remain focused on Christ and the wisdom for living He supplies through His Spirit. I don't want to be dragged down or led astray (like I perceive much of humanity is currently being led astray) by unhealthy worldly influences.
IV. Invest in relationships
"With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." (Ephesians 4:2-3)
"This is how we have come to know love: He laid down his life for us. We should also lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters." (1 John 3:16, CSB)
Scripture teaches us to reflect the heart of Christ in how we interact with one another. In Ephesians 4, Paul explained that believers are called to display humility, gentleness, and patience toward each another. We're also called to bear with one another in a loving way while maintaining unity and peace through the power of the Holy Spirit.
In the first letter the Apostle John wrote to the church, He also called us to display love to one another in a very specific way. We're called to lay down our lives for one another with the same heart motivation Jesus demonstrated when He laid down His life for us.
In recent years, the Lord has been helping me to place a greater value on the relationships He has allowed me to have with the people He has placed in my life. For that reason, I'm trying to tangibly show others just how much I value them. I'm trying to be very intentional to invest in my relationships with with my wife and my children. I'm trying to carve out more time for extended family and friends. I'm also working hard to establish relationships with new people. In fact, during the past twelve months, even in the midst of all that's been taking place in the world, I have become friends with more new people than at any other time other than my freshman year of college. I want this pattern to continue in the coming year.
And as these relationships grow, I'm praying that the Lord will help me to represent Him well. I receive so much joy from my relationship with Jesus and I want others to experience the joy they can have through Him as well. Many of the people in this world that I love deeply haven't yet grasped the joy and peace Christ is offering them. I'm hopeful that if they can in a small way see what He's doing in my heart, maybe they will also invite Him into their life as well and experience what a healthy relationship with their Creator feels like.
V. Be intentional about showing appreciation
"Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing." (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
Several months ago, I interviewed an author for my podcast. His name is John Ruhlin and he wrote the best-selling book, "Giftology." It's a book that would probably be good for all leaders to read because in that book he outlines practical ways to show appreciation to those you live with, work with, and serve with.
In speaking with him, I became convinced that I need to improve in showing appreciation toward others. Making sure others know they are loved and appreciated is a biblical concept that all believers should adopt as a practice. In 1 Thessalonians 5, Paul challenged the church to encourage one another and build one another up. It sounds like Paul wanted the believers of the early church to be intentional about showing appreciation to one another.
Of my personal aims for this coming year, I suspect this might be the area that I struggle with most. I think the reason I struggle with it might be because I have allowed my life and my time to become too cluttered in other areas, and as a result, the time I would have been able to allot for showing creative appreciation is being consumed by obligations that I should gradually and gracefully take a break from.
If you're familiar with the book, "The Five Love Languages" by Gary Chapman, you probably already know his theory that people tend to give and receive love in five different ways; words of affirmation, acts of service, quality time, physical touch, and gifts. As I attempt to devote myself to getting better at showing appreciation, I am going to try to use Chapman's suggestions to show love and appreciation toward those the Lord has placed in my life.
So what are you aiming for this coming year? Is there anything on my list that might be practical for you to add to your list as well? What has Christ been impressing upon your heart? How can you give others a greater glimpse of the joy you have in Him during this coming year?
I truly hope this coming year will be a year of great progress in your relationship with Jesus, and the love, joy, and peace that He has placed in your life will genuinely overflow into the lives of others as He does His miraculous work through you.
© John Stange, 2021
