My focus for the new year

For the past couple of days I've been thinking about the new year and what I'd like to focus on. I've been reading a devotional book called Whispers of His Power by Amy Carmichael. She was a missionary in India from 1895 until her death in 1951. She has written many devotional readings that are full of truth from God's Word.

Yesterday's reading had the following verse,

Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear;" Hebrews 12:28

After I read that, I knew that this would be my theme for the new year--to serve God "well pleasingly" (as Carmichael interprets it from Young's Literal Translation). Every thing I do, whether it is serving at home, my neighbors, my church, and others God puts in my life, needs to be done to please my Heavenly Father. I must strive to do things excellently unto Him first and foremost.

Carmichael ended her devotional with this prayer, which is parts of Hebrews 13:20-21, Now the God of Peace...make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

May we all strive to please God better in this new year. It's so easy to look back at failures, sins, and hurts, but we must keep pressing on. Christ wants us to forget those things which are behind, and reach forth unto those things which are before," (Philippians 3:14). Looking back keeps us from honoring and loving God in the way we should. So... look ahead with joy and determination to serve the Lord with all of your heart.

I hope you all have a wonderful year! Happy 2011!:)