January 2020
By Doug Harrell
Mitchell County
As we face a new year my thoughts go back to the scripture about becoming a new person in Christ.
“That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” Ephesians 4:22-24 KJV
Take a few minutes and think about the New Year and as you do, think about yourself. What are your goals and objectives for the year 2020? We all talk about New Year’s Resolutions and that is a good thing, but resolving to do something and then carrying through with accomplishing those things takes more than just making the resolution. You must make concrete plans to accomplish those resolutions. The old adage that if you keep doing what you have always done you will keep receiving what you have always received is so correct. If you plan on making a change, you must make changes in your thoughts and actions. A critical part of change is to change the inputs into your mind and thoughts, changing your environment, maybe your circle of friends, what you are reading or listening to. Again, garbage in garbage out is true of our minds and our bodies. We rarely miss feeding our bodies, but what about our minds and our souls, our entire spirit.
Take some time and really picture yourself as the person you would like to be, be honest when looking at areas of your life that need to be changed if you are serious about making a change. I find that spending time in the Bible every day and really reading the instructions for life makes a huge difference. We do have available the instructions, and no, they are not just suggestions, they are instructions for living life to the fullest.
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;” 2 Corinthians 5:17-18 KJV
Life here on earth is full of challenges daily, none of us are immune to the thorns of life, but when we really understand God and His perfect will, we will be able to navigate the hills and ravines that we will be faced with. Getting in lockstep with Jesus makes all the difference in life. Learn to seek the good and perfect will for yourself and your family as you start this new year. Ask for and seek patience to accept things that you don’t always understand. Relax and let God work. It is the most important thing we can do to have the peace that passes understanding.
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 KJV
Determine to become more like your Savior would have you be as you get ready to tread the road of 2020, turn your eyes upon Jesus and trust His guidance, listen to the still small voice and trust His wisdom, your life won’t necessarily be trouble-free, but your mind will become that way.
To God be the glory. Happy New Year!
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Doug Harrell is a life-long resident of Mitchell County, Owner of Harrell Hill Farms, a member of Bear Creek Baptist Church and former publisher of Blue Ridge Christian News. You can find him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/doug.harrell.77
Find more Life Lessons at https://blueridgechristiannews.com/category/lifes-lessons/
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