New year, New perspective....

1 Peter 5:8 …..be disciplined and stay on guard. Your enemy the devil is prowling around outside like a roaring lion, just waiting and hoping for the chance to devour someone.

Matthew 6:33 Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and then all these things will be given to you too.

How are we doing this New Year? How is our perspective? How are we approaching each day in this new season God has granted to each of us? Two precious gifts God has given us:

1. God’s Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ
2. Life

Are we fully aware of how fortunate each one of us truly is? If you stop and make a list of what you have, what you possess, what you own, what you can call yours, I am not sure any one of us really has anything to complain about. What if we took a different look at our lives and instead of doing the typical list of Good and Bad, we simply and purposefully chose to focus on what matters most and nothing else?

The choice to focus on what matters most, to walk boldly, courageously into each day of this life with no thought for the things that threaten to distract us makes an enormous difference in everything else that follows. I believe by making this simple switch in our focus, we can expect to see profound and life-changing movement in our lives. Think about it: When we get bent out of shape because of our life circumstances, what we are dealing with on any given day that is just plain crap, the stuff that derails us and leaves us doing more grumbling, griping and complaining than thanksgiving and praise…..what does it get us? What benefit is that to us in any way, shape, or form? None. Zero. Zip. Blah. Why are we doing this to ourselves?!

Did you read the scriptures at the beginning of this blog post? The enemy. He is crafty, creative, sneaky, calculating, strategic, and ready to pounce at our weakest and most vulnerable moments. And sometimes his greatest victory in your life is when you find yourself stuck day in and day out in the same muck, monotonous misery, and mediocrity. So consider right now, how much time in your life, days, months, years, have you allowed the enemy to devour? How often have you allowed him to win a victory he doesn’t deserve nor truly has? We can start playing the blame game here, listing off all the things that are to blame for our miserable state of being and why we are stuck in it, but that will only give me the opportunity to lovingly and gently point out to you what was stated in the beginning of this blog post. Where is your focus? Stop it and consider right now, this very moment, you are blessed. You have a Savior, who loves you, who has purposed you for so much good if you give Him a chance to use you fully. It doesn’t mean you’ll snap into this blissful state of no worry, no fear, no doubt, BUT it does mean you’ll be in a state of mind, body and spirit to better handle those challenges when they come.

You have a choice, you always have a choice. By choosing to improve your perspective, you will find your way to making every tragedy a triumph, every upheaval an uprising, victory is yours! I cannot tell you what a difference it makes to hold tight to the One who holds your life in His hands. It is hard to put into words, the ability to experience freedom, peace, and joy when we make the deliberate, courageous choice to live in a Jesus perspective. He endured the worst, so we can live our best! There is too much at stake as our world continues to spiral out of control. What an opportunity we have, what we will miss, if we live our lives in any other way that 100% devoted to our great big God!

He intends for us to live fully and purposefully in spite of how difficult life is. This is our greatest form of witness to the world around us. Let’s not miss it. Let’s give God the victory, instead of the other guy because ultimately we know who wins, who already won, who will win when our days come to an end.

Glory to God, forever!

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