The Manageable Moments of 2019
2019 is now upon us! If you are anything like me, you want this year to be about intentional actions to praise the fame of God’s name.
I really want this year to be marked by anticipating God’s active shepherding in my life, and discerning His fingerprints in the daily details. I have heard the saying, “The days can seem long, but the years short.” Do I really want this year’s day-to-day to be overwhelming, and dragging minute-by-minute to find myself finally crashing on my pillow?
This new-year brings “manageable moments” of time (days) to live out by God’s grace. These “manageable moments” can take on rich meaning for me, if I’m actively engaging my mind, habits and behaviours. I need to seek God’s council to understand how to frame-up my outlook for each day and the year of 2019.
In my daily bible reading, I’ve been reading through Genesis 1 to 5. The grand design of God’s creation unfolds into the fall of man, and subsequent consequences “thus all the days that Adam lived were 930 years, and he died (Gen 5:5).” The striking impact of choosing to live independently from God, instead of daily submitting to God’s design and dependently living by His care- drives me to experience “death.” In Adam, God originally created man to experience life not death, community not isolation, intimacy not separation. Therefore, as each day “death” seeks to bring destruction, I must see this as the infection or consequence of sin.
Why do I want to start in Genesis to help me plan for 2019? The wisest man to live stated, “…There is nothing new under the sun (Eccl 1:9).” After going through his own intentional pursuit of living life, Solomon concluded with the following counsel- “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil (Eccl. 12:13).” Genesis teaches me to begin with God, and not myself (Gen 1:1).
The main reason I start with Genesis is to understand my need for redemption from my sin and reconciliation with God, as found in the unfolding plan and person of Jesus Christ (Gen. 3:15 cf. Is. 7:14; Mt. 1:23; Gal. 4:3-5; Heb. 2:14-18; Rev. 20:10). Once the big picture is clear and salvation is found in Jesus through repentant faith, then I can have the ability to see through lenses that are not distorting my minds reality for 2019.
I discover in the Bible about God’s redemption in Jesus, His shepherding of lives, and His consistent faithfulness amidst the futility of man’s ongoing striving for independence and finite expressions of bravado. Click To TweetIf I want to experience rich meaning and purpose in the “manageable moments” of 2019, I need to make time this week to pause, consider, and affirm what is going to drive my pursuits.
Fitness Training
Practice
Reflect on how these biblical truths discussed today should influence your mind, habits and behaviours in 2019.
Write Down
1) What has been most important to you in planning for 2019 and does this align with the truth discussed?
2) How could 2019 take on new momentum, if you start connecting these truths about your faith to your personal life, family life or work life?
3) Why is it important for you to start living the rest of 2019 with God and His ways setting the trajectory? Are there any negative possibilities for going my own way?
Connect
Who will you meet this week to process these biblical truths? What day and time works best? Call them now and don’t wait.
Pray
God, train my mind to anticipate your shepherding care in my life and to see your fingerprints in the daily details, so that each day is meaningful for your glory.