You can pretty much find out how to do anything by Googling it on your computer, but you won't even have to do that today, because I have supplied everything you need to make 2018 a great year in three easy steps. Here we go....
1. Figure out what God is calling you to do and to resolve that this is the time to act. The Bible records that Paul sent a message to Timothy. It said "Do your best to get here before winter." The seas were too volatile to traverse in the winter months and Paul knew he didn't have much time. Some things must be done "before winter." For some things the time has to be now. When there is need in front of you, it is time to act. As a friend of mine says, "God once told me to quit praying to take care of someone's need when He had given me the resources to do it easily." Now she says she doesn't need a sign from heaven and three revelations to see if she really has to give or do something for others. She just does it. Joyfully.
2. Prioritize. If Timothy had not made a side trip to Ephesus, he would have made it to Rome to see Paul. By the time he got there, Paul had been beheaded. Priorities order our days and decisions are easier when you prioritize what matters most. In Matthew 6 we see that Jesus speaks directly regarding the priorities of his followers. "Do not lay up treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and thieves break in and steal, but lay up treasures in heaven." He is telling us to give priority to His work, not to build bigger barns.
3. Do not procrastinate. It is said there is a box in heaven with your name on it. Inside are all the things you could have done but never did. Love you could have shared, letters you could have written, work you might have done for others—all good things that might have been but never were. None of us knows what the year will bring. Feast, famine, new life, death, joy or unhappiness. All things are possible. But this is my resolution: I will do everything I can to make 2018 be the year Indianapolis turns the corner, the year this city's residents become known—no famous—for their inclusiveness and care for each other. It will take many of us who know that this is our time to act, that this is a priority and that we cannot procrastinate. This year my goal is to change Indianapolis from "The Crossroads of America" to "Indianapolis: The Heart of America."
It will take lots of us to make it happen. But in God's economy, miracles happen every day. Blessings to you all in the New Year!
Nancy
