New Year's Resolutions...A Thought on Stewardship

Christmas blessings upon you!

We are right in the thick of the Christmas octave! And yet, our world continues to move forward at light speed with the New Year quickly approaching.

The New Year's holiday ushers in the month of January, also known to many as the month of resolutions. Each year millions of people make resolutions as a form of hope and planning for the coming year.

My challenge to you is to look at your resolutions from a Stewardship perspective. This year, don't set your resolutions based on what you think you need (a better job, a better body, a better use of your time), but set your resolutions based on your gratitude for the gifts God has given you.

God Gives you Life
Show your gratitude by caring for your body and your mind as His temple. Sustain your body with healthy food, regular exercise, and lots of water. Enrich your mind with scripture, learning, and meditation. Quiet yourself and create opportunities that relieve stress instead of create it.

God Gives you Resources
Remember that the financial resources you have or you do not have are gifts from God. Say thank you by sharing your resources with the less fortunate. Find a cause that feeds your own passions and interests and share the great gifts God has given you. God does not need our money, God is all-powerful after all, but He asks us to give because it is good for us and it can help to keep us from being enslaved by it.

Remember also that God gives us the earth and we are called to be good and responsible stewards of our environment. Pay close attention to your use of utilities and natural resources.

God Gives you Time
Your time comes from God. He has given us the free-will to decide what to do with it. Does working all those extra hours or sleeping the day away bring Him glory and show Him your gratitude? If it doesn't, what can you do with your time that will show Him how grateful you are for the gift?

God Gives you Love
Show your gratitude for God's love by loving others. Love your family. Love your spouse. Love your next-door neighbor. Love yourself.

Consider these things when you are making your New Year's resolutions. And remember, if you don't succeed at them right away, don't give up. Keep trying. God never gives up on us!!!