We have crossed the threshold of yet another year. As much as it seems that we were just recently welcoming in 2014, here we are in 2015. Time presses us onward and forward ~ whether we like it or not.
As we have now arrived at January 1, 2015, I felt a tug on my heart to ponder what it might be that we carry into the New Year. Some will carry grief while others will carry joy. Some will carry debt while others carry blessing. Some will carry trial will others will carry hope and restoration. Surely we could go on and list dozens upon dozens of other experiences and realities. But may I submit something? Here it is: What attitude will you carry into the New Year?
That is the question to ask. If we are transparent and honest with ourselves, there are many things in life that are well beyond our control. We don’t control where we were born, who raised and nurtured us, what family we came into, or what resources we may or may not have had growing up. There is nothing we can do about many things in life.
It does us well to understand and accept that many circumstances and situations really are beyond our control. That can be a sign of growth and maturity in the Lord. Yet, there can still remain a temptation to complain and pout about things that cannot be changed and will not be changed. Much of these things are in the past and cannot be undone or reworked. Unfortunately, some get swept up into that and fall prey to that temptation. Yes they cause distress. Yes it can put you at a disadvantage in different contexts and situations. But they cannot be allowed or permitted to define, dismantle, or defeat us. Let that never be the case!
As I have aged and encountered more and more people in virtually all walks of life, at every stage of life, and in every paradigm of life – I have witnessed that the people who make the best of life have an intimate, close, personal connection with God – yes, of course they do. But secondly, they are also people who have also moved past the temptation or the tendency to whine, feel sorry for themselves, or have the most pity on their own conditions. With God’s help and direction, those who have overcome (or are overcoming) have been delivered from that mindset and from that tendency.
It may seem cliche, but they have “learned to turn lemons into lemonade” and “look at the glass as half full, not half empty.”
How does this apply to a new year…or to a new day for that matter?
Here is the answer: Each day there are those things that you will have no control over. It could be how someone feels about you or the poor weather conditions outside. It may be a crunch deadline on a work project or an agitated customer who just wants to let you know how they feel. It could be a financial matter or a terrible traffic jam that will cause you to be late to your son’s game (that has happened to me several times, by the way). For many, its a detrimental or chronic health or physical challenge…some which linger and worsen with time. There are just those things you or I cannot control ~ it’s beyond us. But the one thing we do control, and can immediately take control over, is our attitude towards these things. As it’s been stated: “Our attitude today will make the difference in everything that matters” (Chuck Swindoll).
May this help us as we welcome in 2015 today, and as we journey into each new moment that the Lord gives us. May God bless you and your family…many prayers and much hope for a very blessed New Year!
Porter
PastorPG's Blog 