Habits for the New Year

Welcome to 2014! Happy New Year!

This is the time of year people make New Year's Resolutions for the coming months. A resolution is a "firm determination" to do something. Once you begin doing it, and practicing it over and over, it will become a habit. I've put together a list of habits I hope are on your radar for 2014. These may begin as resolutions, but with repetition, they will become good habits. Here's my list:

• Pray Perpetually - Keep a prayer list on paper or electronically. Make notes as God responds to your prayers. Drop the prayers for safety, an easy life, and material blessings. No one prayed like that in the Bible. At least not in the context we Americans pray. Instead pray for boldness, contentment, and the Lost to come to Christ.  (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
• Read the Bible - Pick a plan and read DAILY. You eat every day, don't you? This is spiritual food for your soul. You need a steady diet of God's Word. (Hebrews 4:12; Psalm 119:105)
• Give to God - Give first to God. Make it a priority. Don't give God your leftovers. A good guideline is 10% of your income. Then save some money, pay off debt, pay bills, and if any is left, you can spend it. Remember, we are stewards, not owners. (Malachi 3:10; Luke 6:38)
• Volunteer - We have to be reminded that life isn't "all about us." The best way to remember that is to serve someone else. It takes the focus off of us and ironically makes us feel good ourselves! Those who fall into the trap of self-pity rarely see beyond their own needs and wants. It's a dangerous spiral, but with service to others it can be escaped. (Mark 10:45; Matthew 20:28)
• Worship Weekly - Join other Christians in worshipping the God we serve each week. Even on vacation, I would bet you can find a church where a group of Christians meet on Sunday mornings. You need the fellowship, the teaching, the communion, and encouragement the large group of believers provides. (Hebrews 10:25; Acts 20:7)

As you practice these habits in 2014, remember the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson and know you are paving the way for a heavenly destiny that can never be taken away from you.

“Sow a thought and you reap an action; sow an act and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a character and you reap a destiny.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson