Iron Sharpens Iron

I am not even going to get into whether to have New Years resolutions or not but I do think there are a few things we can do to start off our year focused and with some good habits in place.

1. Have a quiet time with the Lord. Find a time of preference and a devotional you like based on the Bible which contains a scripture with a meditation. I have my time in the morning because by inviting Christ into my day early it starts my day off right, but it works for many in the evening also so just do it.

2. Join some type of Christian based bible study small enough so that you can share openly and honestly and have a level of accountability. If you are not accountable to at least a few good men you are really asking for trouble and my experience say’s that you are compromising your ethics. When we try to go it alone we tend to modify our self discipline and give ourselves a pass on unacceptable behavior. If we shared the knowledge of this behavior choice with another brother he could help us to see it for what it really is unacceptable.

3. Do something social with Christian friends every week. It could be a cup of coffee or sports activity, lunch or doing an act of community service. When we work and play together friendship grows and the next thing we realize in a time of trouble is we have a large network of support that will help carry us through.

I realize for some of you this is a new way of thinking but I am not telling you something I do not do myself. I have one men’s bible study that I have participated in for 17+ years so I can tell you it works. By the way this is over and above my fulltime job, family, and ministry responsibilities. These are the things I do just for me! These three things can save you a lot of guilt, shame and remorse.

By the way a good inexpensive devotional is the Utmost for His Highest. You can get it for less that $10.

Take care of you! I am sure there are people depending on you.

Jesus is Faithful

Clif