Can You Be Ready for the New Year?

The world is changing in subtle and often dramatic ways. It’s a reality we face or have forced upon us. Change can be perceived as an opportunity to grow into the person God intended. If change is perceived as a part of God’s plan, it’s possible to be receptive to his blessings.

When people close their eyes and ears to what is unsettling or not clearly defined, they are still subject to whatever is taking place. Failure to face the social, political, and spiritual issues of our time can pave the way for future significant trouble.

Inherent in human nature is the struggle to maintain equilibrium in the face of change. However, change without sacrifice is not possible. God is the creator of change, as demonstrated by sending Jesus into the world to save it. This day marks the beginning of a new year, so Happy New Year! 

May you be richly blessed day by day with the changes you will encounter.                              

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Base your happiness on your hope in Christ [Jesus]. When trials come, endure them patiently and maintain the habit of prayer.

~Romans 12:12 Phillips – New Testament In Modern English

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What Motivates Us to Strive for the Best We Can Be?

During transitional moments, we’re given the chance to make changes that benefit ourselves and others as well. What is it that motivates us to achieve our very best? We were created to strive for something beyond ourselves, and that motivation is fueled by love for God and others.

In order to stay on track, it is necessary to establish a structure for staying focused. We have a propensity to fall into old patterns of behavior,  so it’s necessary to set reasonable goals and objectives to maintain a sense of hope for being successful.

Romans 12:12 reminds us to be “joyful in hope, patient when troubles arise, and faithful in prayer.” We feel a sense of joy when we reach out for possibilities beyond the expected. 

Joyful hope found in Christ Jesus helps us overcome obstacles that would prevent us from achieving God’s plan for us.           

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Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God – what is good and is pleasing to him and is perfect.

~Romans 12:2 Good News Bible

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Keeping Hope Alive

Realistic hope is never passive even as it is forced to wait patiently for fulfillment. Hope is always coupled to a plan for what can be achieved. Creativity, challenging work, and alertness to opportunities are key factors for hope to be realized. These attributes nurture expectations that keep hope alive.

Hope is the door to opportunity, yet it embraces some degree of risk and disappointment. The very nature of hope projects uncertainty because what is hoped for cannot be seen. However, hope for the future can’t help but raise expectations for something good to be experienced.

For hope to be realistic and healthy it must be grounded in positive good for oneself and others. Romans 12:12 gives these instructions: “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction and faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” Be alert for opportunities to exercise your faith in Christ Jesus which brings hope for fulfillment.  

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The Spirit makes us sure about what we will be in the future. But now we groan silently, while we wait for God to show that we are his children. This means that our bodies will also be set free. And this hope is what saves us. But if we already have what we hope for, there is no need to keep on hoping. However, we hope for something we have not yet seen, and we patiently wait for it.

~Romans 8:23-25 Contemporary English Version

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Hope – A Powerful Force

Stress is an unpleasant fact and may originate from unexpected places and people. When a relationship or employment becomes the primary source of stress, it’s normal to hope for solutions that bring relief. Prolonged stress builds a bridge to discouragement, which presents a struggle to keep hope alive.

American prisoners of war have testified to torture and extreme conditions in prison camps, but those who survived did not lose their faith in God or hope for eventual freedom. Hope becomes a powerful force whenever a thought is conceived that has realistic possibilities for the future.

Hope demands that patience be exerted for what is yet to be, and this is where faith plays a vital role. The apostle Paul gives us these guidelines for experiencing hope and keeping it alive and active. "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction and faithful in prayer." How can this be? Ask the Lord God to fill your heart and soul with certainty that he hears and will answer your prayers.  

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We wait in hope for the Lord. He helps us. He is like a shield that keeps us safe. Our hearts are full of joy because of him. We trust in him because he is holy. Lord, may your faithful love rest on us. We put our hope in you.

~Psalm 33:20-22 New International Reader’s Version

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A New Year of Hope: Lay a New Foundaton with Prayer

 As we approach the coming New Year, what do you desperately want to leave behind that’s been a detriment to your peace and joy? It’s interesting how hurt feelings, anger, and hatred tenaciously cling to us emotionally and refuse to be discarded from our memory.

Building a new foundation for peace and joy cannot be accomplished where resentments are active or deeply buried in our subconscious where they have the tendency to pop up unexpectedly. One way to quiet old memories attached to resentments is to ask God to bless in specific ways those who hurt and wounded you so severely.

Praying for these people each day, or several times a day as the Holy Spirit sparks your memory, will bring about permanent healing and peace in your heart, mind, and spirit. Yes, it takes courage to do this systematically because you have to rebuff every justification for remaining resentful. But remember, Christ in you is greater than he, Satan, who is in the world.  

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Let your hope make you glad. Be patient in time of trouble and never stop praying.

~Romans 12:12 Contemporary English Version

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Join Hands and Celebrate God's Good Gifts

Throughout history mankind has devised ways to celebrate life. Douglas Jerrold, the British playwright, humorously said of the English people, “If an earthquake were to swallow up our property tomorrow, my people would meet and dine somewhere in the rubbish to celebrate the event.” God is especially honored when we celebrate his intervention in our lives.

When I was in the military, I attended a church whose mission was to provide a home for young men and women serving their country. At the close of our Bible study, we would join hands and celebrate by singing, “Blest be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love. The fellowship of kindred minds is like to that above.”

Jesus in Matthew 5:12 commands us to “rejoice and be glad” even in difficult, hard times. You can do this seemingly impossible task by staying focused on the Lord God, who gives more than life itself. “For my God shall supply your every need according to the riches of his glory by Christ Jesus.”  

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Tell the heavens and the earth to celebrate and sing;

command every mountain to join in the song.

The Lord’s people have suffered,

but he has shown mercy and given them comfort.

~Isaiah 49:13 Contemporary English Version

Let your hope keep you joyful, be patient in your troubles, and pray at all times.

~Romans 12:12 Good News Bible

Resolving the Conflict Within

Many books have been written on the topic of midlife crisis, which both men and women may potentially experience. Midlife is referred to as the years between thirty-five and fifty-five. At this point in adult development, one’s identity may seem to lose its cohesion and result in the loss of satisfaction with earlier important choices. 

The cause for this unrest is often identified as unresolved, internal conflicts that have accumulated. Resolving internal conflict necessitates deciding between one’s previous and present life choices or a skewed perception of what the future holds. The consequence for not choosing well could be extended periods of regret and unhappiness. 

 

             A midlife crisis may lead to searching for what promises to alleviate the distress of one’s existence. This is a good place to be, for now constructive choices for healthy change can take place. The impact of previous choices cannot be avoided, but pressing onward to rebuild one's life is possible. Call on God and he will help you.  

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May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in your faith, that by the power of the Holy Spirit, your whole life and outlook may be radiant with hope.

~Romans 15:13 Phillips – The New Testament in Modern English

On the Edge of Trusting God

Jacob had good reason to be thankful. God delivered him from his brother’s wrath and blessed him with a large family. He acquired enough wealth to assure adequate security for a lifetime. Still, after witnessing God's presence and provision he hesitated to comply with God's directives.

 

          Have you ever stopped short of finishing God’s instructions for yourself and others? Stopping short may occur as you approach the edge of God’s plan and discover that there to greet you is a major distraction. The distraction could be fear or doubt or whatever stops you from completing what you know is right for you.

Sometimes we're willing to trust God up to the edge, but not beyond that point. Yet God's desire for us is to trust him completely, to go forward all the way and then to rest in his provision and safety. Remember to “trust in the Lord with all your heart. Never rely on what you think you know. Remember the Lord God in everything you do, and he will show you the right way.” This is a great security investment that never loses its value.

Waiting for Trust to Return

Relationships survive and thrive on love, trust, and respect. Someone said, "I love him, but I can't trust him." Or, "I love her, but I've lost respect for her." Trust and respect can be rebuilt when each person is patient and honest enough for change and healing to evolve. Patience depends on basic love to endure the hardships of waiting.

When trust has been destroyed, trust for a person may not return, even after forgiveness has taken place.  While forgiveness is a crucial step in restoring trust, it doesn't mean a person is ready or willing to trust again. You may want to trust, wish you could, but find it difficult to rise to the occasion.

Human nature forces us to wait and see if a person is trustworthy. Letting down your guard and gradually beginning to trust again depends on the assurance of safety. Basic love provides hope for a return to trust. Romans 12:12 instructs us to "be joyful in hope, patient in affliction and faithful in prayer." These three are necessary for rebuilding a relationship.

Gifts from God ~ Hope, Patience and Faith

We don’t often recover quickly from disaster or trauma or in ways we believe to be reasonable. Physical and emotional wounds heal differently and in a time frame that might be unpredictable. Recovery from grief and sorrow depends on our perception and response to what has been lost or taken from us.

  

God’s word offers wonderful instructions for coping with an uncertain future. Listen for a moment to God’s way to celebrate his gift of Christ Jesus. “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation and faithful in prayer.”  Please receive these gifts of HOPE, PATIENCE and FAITH, for you are blessed with God’s love. Merry Christmas!

  

  

Rising Up, Finding Hope - Part 2

Everyday life presents challenges that demand reevaluation of past choices. Intense conflict or crisis requires determination to set in place a desirable outcome. Reframing necessitates being open to alternative behaviors and opinions in order for conflict to be managed successfully.

The prodigal son lost his way but made a decision that changed his life. Reframing meant visualizing an alternative to the abject poverty of his body and soul. Reframing gave him courage to rise up from shame and failure and find his way home. He found hope for his life in spite of the hardships he brought on himself.

Isn't it just like God to extend his grace and mercy to us, to supply answers to hard questions, and help us find our way back home? God gives us the will to face reality regardless of how that reality is defined. He gives insight for making choices that will change the downward spiral that your life is taking. Ask him to help you do this today.