“But you walked away from your first love—why? What’s going on with you, anyway? Do you have any idea how far you’ve fallen?...(The Message) But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first…(English Standard Version)
Whatever your reason for deciding to set some goals this year, don't forget. Remember why you started.
Remember why you considered the New Year a good time to make some changes. Why did you stop, start thinking and write down a few key areas you know you need to work on?
The more you think about it, the more you can see some neglected dreams, that if only you can dedicate a fair share of time and effort, it would absolutely revolutionize the way you look and feel. Your life would change for the better and that my friend, is why!
But something keeps getting in the way.
You try to stick to your plan but you become distracted.
Unplanned events come along, you remember that time is marching on, but still, life becomes so intense that by the time you look up, another year has gone by.
This is when you must remember why you started.
We are reminded in Psalm 90:12, to ask the Lord to "teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom." It is wise to remember why you started. That issue or dream that motivated you to get started is still a priority and it is good enough to keep you going, if you refuse to forget it.
No matter what pulls at the apron strings of your heart and mind, hold fast to your profession of faith. Don't compromise, don't accept your own excuses and let yourself be deceived by the opinions of others who are not striving for the same things as you.
Sometimes we put so much time into soothing our own scars and entertaining ourselves, that growing up and reaching the next level of life gets lost in the shuffle of being busy. I don't know who said it, but how you choose to spend your time is very important because wasted time is the only thing you can't recycle.
Let's pray about this:
Lord, today I remember why I started. I remember that You sacrificed Your life so that I would have the right to ask, seek and knock.
You promised that when I ask the answer would be given, when I seek I would find and when I knock the door would be opened to me.
So this day, I stand on your Word in Matthew 7:7, asking that You would help me reach my goals in 2018, seeking Your help to never forget why these goals are so important to me and to You, and knocking so hard that every day of every month this year, will be like an open door of blessing to me and to all those affected by the change in my life.
In Jesus' name, Amen!
~Inspiring Hope and Seasoning Faith, Pastor Sean