A New Year...What Will You Do With It?

I can’t help but wonder if God is hoping that you will commit 2024 him in order to live in the way he is wanting you to. Have you tried that yet? What could God do with a girl like you and a new year of life? There is no limit my dear!

The scripture verse(s) we talk about today include: 1 Peter 4:10

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Sarah Elizabeth 

Our Faith Your Day Declaration!

Jesus, thank you so much for loving me in the way that you do! You designed me on purpose for a purpose. I want to live to my full potential today, with a mindset that honors you and a soul that seeks to know you better. Jesus I know that you are the way, the truth and the life, and I ask you to guide me and reveal to me what it is that you want to show me here, have me experience here, and learn from this season. Help mold me and shape me into the best version of me. I will live today as your vessel ready to receive your word, respond to your promptings, and pour out your overflowing love to those all around me. Please allow your thoughts to become my thoughts, your ways to become my ways and your will to become what I truly desire. Jesus if you are in it I want it and if you are not I don’t! I choose to faith this day of life! I am so grateful to be your girl! In Jesus name Amen!

Transcript

So here we are in 2024 ready to begin a new year, ready to move forward and ready to continue on our ultimate quest of bringing glory to God through our everyday lives…that’s the big goal, but how do we approach that on the daily. I wonder if before we jump into what’s to come, if it’s wise to look back upon what was. I know you can’t go back to 2023 to do things differently, but girl you for sure can look back upon the year to decide what you’d like to do differently this year. A new year, a clean slate, and so much opportunity and potential. I can’t help but wonder if God is hoping that you will commit 2024 him in order to live in the way he is wanting you to. Have you tried that yet? What could God do with a girl like you and a new year of life? There is no limit my dear! This new year is a gift, one that many many people didn’t receive. Think back to people you have lost, lives that ended before the ball dropped on January 1st. And like with any gift, it’s only right to thank the giver. Where does the gift of a new year come from…well it’s not from your efforts, not from your power, and not from your abilities. This gift comes directly from God, and that’s the first place that we need to begin this year…with a heart full of gratitude, ready to not only accept this gift, but to appreciate it, and to be ready to utilize it fully. 

I want you to think back to just a week ago when you had loved ones  open Christmas presents. You thought, a picked and purchased or made and wrapped, and waited and watched and hoped that when that gift was finally opened that it would light up their face right. Whatever it was that they opened isn’t your hope that it would be fully utilized, loved. My sister that is exactly what God wants as we enter into the gift of a new year as well. How would your heart feel if the gift that you selected that you thought would be absolutely perfect for your loved one went totally unused, forgotten about, collected dust and shelved. Heartbroken right! You provided them with something that could be enjoyed, savoured, used up, worn out, and made memories with. In a nutshell that is your life! Girl, God didn’t gift you with another year ahead so that you could complain about it, wish it was something different, compare it to what other people got, or hope to trade it for what you really want. He gave you this year ahead to live! To live fully! 

1 Peter 4:10- Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. This verse offers us some guidance we can use as we step into 2024. First off it says that each of us should use whatever gift we have received. That implies that the gifts are different right? Whatever gift you get…use it! Our situations, realities, opportunities, goals all differ. Mine are different from yours, and yours are different from mine. One not being better than the other, but simply being different examples of the gifts that God offers us. The point is that I’m not supposed to look at my gifts in comparison to yours, and you shouldn’t look at mine to determine if it’s a more or less desirable version of yours. God knows what each of us requires to do HIS will and therefore we must trust that what he’s given us is exactly what we need to do the work he’s set out for us to do. Do you notice that in our verse it clearly states that we must use whatever gift we have received to SERVE others. The emphasis is put on service towards others…an interesting angle right? How many times do we put service towards others after taking care of our own desires? Like I’ll donate to that cause…if I have money left before payday…or I’ll volunteer at that event if my kids don’t have practice that night…or I’ll put in a strong effort at work if I’ve got the patience…or I’ll help them with their project if I’ve got the energy. What if we were to focus on what God wants from us first, and let everything fall into place around that. 1 Peter 4:10 gives us a very important title we can strive towards this year…faithful Steward! The current titles you hold, whether that be, mom, boss, wife, colleague, friend, sister, daughter…can all fit under your main role of faithful Steward… one who manages well what God has allowed you to utilize. Look around, every single thing you see has been afforded to you though the grace of God. None of it was earned by your goodness, made available by your worthiness, or a reward for anything you have ever done. Sure your attitudes, work ethic, effort etc are what have allowed those gifts to come into your reality, however the gifts themselves are in existence because of his love for you and his grace that is freely given to you on the daily. Those kids who have completely overturned your house this Christmas season…yup a gift that God, and he is allowing you- his faithful Steward- to raise them…that spouse that you said till death do us part to- the one who is now getting on your last nerve…yup he is a gift from God, and you’re being given the opportunity to grow a relationship you can steward well. Your body…how many of you have added changes to your body as New Years resolutions…if so you are amongst many…but my sister whatever shape it’s in now, you as a faithful steward should be making goals to nourish, and keep your body in the best possible condition possible, as it’s your primary means of ensuring that you are indeed able to serve others. 

It’s a new year, and I believe that God wants us to ask him a very specific question. Rather than seeking to figure out what you will do with this year, what if you ask him. Lord, what do you want me to do with this year ahead? What is your will for me? Could His will be what you do with it? It’s a question worth asking, and one that I believe any faithful steward would want to know. Lord, what do you want me to do with this year ahead? What is your will for me? What habits do I have that are not serving me in the way you desire for me? What choices am I making that are not leading me closer to your plans for me? What changes do I need to make to align myself to you? I can’t help but be filled with joy for what he will reveal to you if you earnestly seek his answers to these questions. It’s a new year…choose to steward it well my sister.