10 things you gotta do this year

Greetings, beloved readers!

This week I’m writing to you all from a chilly Romania. I want to sign off this old year and kick off the new one with ten pieces of Evangelical advice for the next twelve months. Hope it blesses you!

#1 Be a witness

Remember that your mission on Earth in this New Year is to be a witness for Christ. Your existence is a lot more important than simply making more money, buying a cool car and getting to go on summer holidays once a year. Your life is supposed to be about Christ! So wherever you go, be a reflection of Him in all that you do and say.

#2 Seek God

There’s nothing more important than seeking after the Lord. You won’t be able to be efficient as a witness of Christ if you aren’t immersed in His presence. Read the Word, pray and cry out loud: “Lord, this year I want You!”

#3 Read good books

Don’t forget that the Lord has given you a brain. He calls you to glorify Him with all of your mind. There can be no excuses for intellectual laziness. Dive deep into wholesome books that strengthen you in the faith.

#4 Bless someone

Take advantage of any opportunity to do something nice for somebody. Look for excuses to help people. Buy them a box of chocolates; take someone out for a coffee; or do whatever else comes to mind. Use your imagination! Do whatever you can to bless those around you. Be a blessing!

#5 Smile

I beg and plead with you in the name of the New Year that you smile whilst you follow God. What could be worse than encountering a believer whose face is as grumpy as an angry toad? Jump for joy! Sing spiritual songs when you’re at church or at work or out shopping or in the shower! Let people see that you don’t have to be a bore in order to be a Christian!

#6 Go walking

Go for a stroll. Do some exercise. Keep your body in a half-decent shape. After all, you are the temple of the Holy Spirit. You’re a lot more than a simple soul or spirit. God has given you your body so that you take good care of it. You’re an administrator. So eat well and drink well. Do some sport every now and again! It will work wonders in your life. You won’t get so tired or stressed. As Spurgeon reminded his students: a good dose of fresh air is the next best medicine to grace in the soul.

#7 Look at people when they talk to you

One of the great social maladies of our times is the Don’t Look at Anybody’s Eyes Syndrome. Since so many are bound by mobile phones, i-Phones, Smartphones, social networks and What’s App, it’s almost nigh on impossible to have a good chat with someone. When was the last time you logged off the Net just to look at your wife or husband (or whoever) in their eyes and spend a half-an-hour chatting together listening and paying attention to her (or him)?

#8 Forgive, forgive, forgive

Don’t begin the New Year without forgiving everybody who did you wrong in the past. Don’t allow wrath to fester in your heart. Bitterness and the lack of forgiveness literally destroy the lives of multitudes today. You will never fully be at peace with God as long as you maintain hostility and unjustified hatred in your heart towards people.

#9 Take a chill pill

Rest. Take it easy. Remember that you’re not a machine or a piece of equipment. With the ongoing stress of everyday life, recall that God established the Sabbath for a reason. Being a Protestant means having a good work ethic; but working seven days a week without taking a breather is a blatant sin against the Lord who created you. Your body needs rest. Your soul needs rest. Not resting is an act of disobedience.

#10 …

I’ll leave number 10 for you to fill in. Think of something enjoyable and godly that you could do this year for the glory of God. You decide.

I hope you all have a wonderful New Year whatever you do. May the good Lord bless you all.