For 2016, resolve to live your life focused on one day at a time, without anxiety for the next. What will give you the power to do that? You make the proactive decision to not live life self-propelled and self-focused, driven by the pressure of performance or burdened under the weight of the expectations of others. You decide for a life of God-worship ... of returning to the Creator who made you and provides you with the very essence of who you are. You resolve to commit, lean and have confidence in the One who gives you the breathe of life; that's called trust ... placing your life within the reality of something that's larger than yourself. That's my prayer for you and I. With that focus, life can be so much better ... and so much more freeing. What's it worth to you?
"If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don't fuss about what's on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to Him than birds.
"Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion - do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.
"If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers - most of which are never even seen - don't you think He'll attend to you, take pride in you, do His best for you? What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way He works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how He works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.
"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes."
- Jesus of Nazareth (from the Good News according to Matthew, 6:25-34 MSG)
