A new year brings a time of mixed feelings. We look back with fondness on the good times we’ve experienced. We feel sadness as we think of the unpleasant times. We look forward with hope that what we didn’t accomplish last year, with God’s help and should Jesus tarry His coming, we will this year.
The Apostle Paul, through his writing to the Philippian church (3:13), gives us some good advice as we begin a new year. His advice is to forget the things which are behind us and reach toward the things which are before us.
There are some things we would all do well to forget and I’d like to suggest several of them:
- Forget our failures. The only people who don’t make mistakes or fail at something are the ones in the cemetery! God doesn’t want us to focus on the losses, but on the lessons we learn through them.
- Forget others’ faults. Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount that we make a big deal about the faults of others while overlooking our own, when our own may be a lot bigger than the folks we’re criticizing. Wouldn’t this new year be a real blessing to us if we just loved everybody, in spite of their faults? That’s what God did for us; let’s do the same for others.
- Forget our finances. There’s a tendency today to spend too much time either making money, spending money or worrying or complaining about the lack of it. If we’ll put God and His business first and surrender our finances to Him, they won’t be a problem or concern for us.
If we’ll forget these things which are behind us, 2019 will be a banner year in our service to the Lord. Have a blessed and God-honoring New Year!
Bro. Ken
