Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” James 4:13-15

As we find ourselves on the eve of yet another new year, we also find ourselves deciding whether we will make New Year’s Resolutions. Then we have to decide which resolutions we might make.

If we were to look at lists of most common resolutions we would find fitness and getting healthier somewhere near the top, as well as quitting bad habits, saving money/getting out of debt along with many others.

As great as some of these resolutions are, typically we won’t keep them and if we do, they will only impact this short life.

I propose that we make a New Year‘s redistribution. I propose that we redistribute our efforts, energies, thoughts and desires and focus them all toward Heaven and pleasing our Heavenly Father.

Those New Years Resolutions may help us tomorrow, but none of us is guaranteed another tomorrow on earth, as our lead verse (James 4:13-15) explains.

If we know Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior, we are guaranteed an eternity with Him in Heaven. Doesn’t it make sense then to focus our efforts on pleasing our Heavenly Father and working on things that will have an eternal impact?

Perhaps our top ten New Year’s Redistribution list might look something like this…

1. Spend more quiet time with God, like Jesus did. (Luke 5:15-16 “Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”)
2. Pray for others more. (I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people. 1 Timothy 2:1)
3. Serve at church more. (Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! psalm 100:2).
4. Read the Bible from cover to cover. (Joshua 1:8 “This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; but you shall meditate therein day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success.)
5. Attend, or maybe even lead, a regular Bible Study. (Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15).
6. Evangelize more. (And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Mark 16:15).
7. Be a better steward of time, money and all that God has given me. (As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: 1 Peter 4:10)
8. Waste less time on tv, video games and surfing the internet. (“O Lord, make me know my end  and what is the measure of my days, let me know how fleeting I am! Psalm 39:4-5)
9. Disciple others. (Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:19).
10. Forgive more. (For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. Matthew 6:14).

Your list might look a little differently, but if we kept these for just 1 day, we would have victory. And, that victory would be an eternal victory!

Let’s, live each day of this next year honoring our Heavenly Father and let’s give a New Year‘s Redistribution of our time, talents and efforts a try, shall we? As long as we make an attempt (even for only 1 day) we can’t fail. It will have an eternal impact and, it may mean that God uses you to rescue someone from the grasp of the enemy.

I’m praying that instead of a New Year’s Resolution, we will all make a New Year’s redistribution of our efforts our talents and our time. And that we would focus them on pleasing our Heavenly Father and making an eternal impact on the kingdom of God.

If you do not know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior I pray that this would be your New Year’s redistribution. You see, Jesus redistributed His life and His presence with The Father and came to earth to suffer and die to pay the penalty for your sin (and mine). I pray that you would go to our Life Preserver page (https://forgiven-n-loved.com/life-preserver/) and pray the prayer outlined there. Accept the free gift of mercy and forgiveness that the Lord offers. Once you do, please reach out to me at admin@Forgiven-N-Loved.com. I’d love to be in prayer for you.

Luv ya!