"Let no one seek his own, but each one the other's well-being."
1 Corinthians 10:24 (NKJV)
Each year around the end of December people begin to make projections about what they expect the next year to bring. In the past I have seen things like, "This will be the year of increase", "This will be the year of the double portion", and "This will be the year of abundant provision". The thing I notice here is that all of these predictions for the New Year are very self-centered, the focus is on what will happen for us and how can God bless us in the New Year. But, instead of thinking about what we can receive in the next year why not think about what we can give?
While I have no problem with the fact that God wants to bless His children and give them success in every area of life, God does not want us to prosper just so we can sit on a pile of money. God does not want us healthy just so we can take a vacation and go mountain climbing. God does not want to reveal the truth of His Word to us just so we can fill our mind with facts. God blesses us so that we can live the best kind of life AND so that we can be in a position to help others. Our goal for this next year and every year should not be just to see how we can be blessed but to find a way that we can be a blessing to others.
As we approach a New Year I believe it would be good to have a new focus and start looking for what we can do for other people. Let's make this next year the year where we are a greater blessing to others than we have ever been before. In the coming year let's take the focus off of ourselves and what can we receive and let's look for what we can do to improve the lives of other people around us. Imagine what our churches would look like if we all had this kind of attitude. If we have a new focus in the New Year and do what we can to bless others we will find that we will be blessed as well and it will be a great way to start the New Year!
1 Corinthians 10:24 (NKJV)
Each year around the end of December people begin to make projections about what they expect the next year to bring. In the past I have seen things like, "This will be the year of increase", "This will be the year of the double portion", and "This will be the year of abundant provision". The thing I notice here is that all of these predictions for the New Year are very self-centered, the focus is on what will happen for us and how can God bless us in the New Year. But, instead of thinking about what we can receive in the next year why not think about what we can give?
While I have no problem with the fact that God wants to bless His children and give them success in every area of life, God does not want us to prosper just so we can sit on a pile of money. God does not want us healthy just so we can take a vacation and go mountain climbing. God does not want to reveal the truth of His Word to us just so we can fill our mind with facts. God blesses us so that we can live the best kind of life AND so that we can be in a position to help others. Our goal for this next year and every year should not be just to see how we can be blessed but to find a way that we can be a blessing to others.
As we approach a New Year I believe it would be good to have a new focus and start looking for what we can do for other people. Let's make this next year the year where we are a greater blessing to others than we have ever been before. In the coming year let's take the focus off of ourselves and what can we receive and let's look for what we can do to improve the lives of other people around us. Imagine what our churches would look like if we all had this kind of attitude. If we have a new focus in the New Year and do what we can to bless others we will find that we will be blessed as well and it will be a great way to start the New Year!