Is there a difference between making New Year’s resolutions and setting priorities for the year? I believe there is. The first, is usually made with the idea that it is more wishful thinking than anything else and New Year’s resolutions, more often than not, are broken. The second, requires an act of will and really looking at your life, where it is headed, what you want to achieve and sitting down to set those goals and priorities.
How many times have you heard someone say they wished there were more hours in a day? Perhaps you have even said it yourself, on more than one occasion. Given the pace of lives these days and the number of things that need to be crammed into a day, it is very easy to miss, ‘building our lives on the things that really matter’ as our minister reminded us on Sunday.
We can spend a lot of time worrying about things that don’t really matter or might never happen or worry about things we can’t change and have no control over. Jesus gives us an invitation to a worry free life. A worry free life? I hear some of you say. Is it even possible? Jesus tells us not to worry in Matthew 6:31 about the practicalities of this life.
Life has many things to worry about but we can choose not to worry. The reason we don’t have to worry is because God is in change and God cares for us.God who clothes the grass and the flowers and the birds of the air cares for us much more than he does these creations. God knows what we need, verse 32.
The other reason Jesus tells us not to worry is that it doesn’t achieve anything. Worry won’t change the situation, verse 27. All it does its stress us out and make us edgy and irritable, which then affects our realtionships.
The third reason for not worrying is that it takes our focus away from where it should be. Jesus tells us our focus should be on seeking ‘first His kingdom and His righteousness,’ verse 33. Can you honestly say that is your priority for this day, for this week, for this year? But that is what Jesus calls us to do. This is what really matters. This should be our priority. And the thing is, when we do this Jesus promises that all the other things we need will be given to us as well, verse 33. So, how can we lose? God’s kingdom will be the winner and so will we.
Bible verses from The New American Standard Version
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