It’s the day before New Year’s Eve.
Most of us have been in a sugar coma for the last week. One day blends into the next with a strange mix of doing a lot and nothing at all, which is somehow exhausting.
At this point, I’m not sure that I even know what day it is.
As one year fades into the past, and the next comes in with a bang, I think we all feel the opportunity for CHANGE.
The Christmas season gives way to the ‘New-Year’s-Resolution’ Season.
Which, of course, is followed by ‘Back-to-Reality’ Season.
What if this year was different? What if we found a way to make lasting change?
Instead of making resolutions, I’ve found two questions to ask myself. These questions are very simple, but wield a LOT of power in bringing about lasting change in my life. Maybe they’ll help you, too.
QUESTION #1:
“What is one thing that I can stop doing right now that would make my life better?”
This question really makes us get honest with ourselves about what we need to eliminate in order to be more focused and content…
My wife Lynn and I were talking about this, because we always do a big clean-out at our house twice a year. There’s something so healthy about reassessing that closet where you just toss stuff day after day–and it piles up year after year–and actually passing on the stuff that you no longer need to someone who can use it.
We need to go through the same process in our personal lives too.
We need to spend time asking ourselves the hard question of why we’ve been holding onto stuff. Why are we spending our time the way we are? When we have a lot of “clutter” in our lives–whether that’s emotional baggage, too many demands on our time, or ways we’re living that are unhealthy–it takes our energy away from doing the things that we need to do.
I think that’s an important piece to a happy life…we have to learn how to declutter a little bit.
So what’s ONE thing you could stop doing right now that would make your life better? And would you be so bold as to stop doing that thing?
It’s not easy, and it might seem counterintuitive…but we only live the full and abundant life Jesus promises us when we get rid of those things that are cluttering our lives.
Whenever you say “yes” to one thing, you are saying “no” to something else.
And so whatever that thing is that’s taking up unnecessary space in your life…once you remove it, you can do the work of expanding your life in ways that you’ve never dreamed.
So whatever that is for you–say goodbye to it.
And that leads to the next question we should be asking, because once we make some space in our lives, the next step is to ask ourselves…
QUESTION #2:
“What is one thing that I can start doing right now that would make my life better?”
This is pretty straightforward…There are certain things for all of us that if we were to start doing them right now, they’d be good for us. Simple, right?
Maybe you need to join a small group.
Maybe you need to go back to church.
Or maybe you simply need to get a good night’s sleep. That’s really important, because the Bible says that God will give His blessed ones rest.
Have the courage today to stop doing one unnecessary thing in your life, and start doing something necessary that’s missing. Just like when we clean out a cluttered closet, the feeling of accomplishment and peace will confirm that you’ve chosen a better way.
Questions to think about:
What is one thing that you can stop doing right now that would make your life better?
What is one thing you can start doing right now that would make your life better?
Prayer for today:
Let’s pray for God to give us the grace to follow through with the answers He gives us to the clarifying questions that we are asking.
Let’s also pray that we are growing, that God might use us in every way that He desires.