January Food for Thought

Happy New Year By My Side, Friends.

I hope your January 2024 is off to a great start.

This is the month of New Year’s resolutions that we often start the new year off with. “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.” (Proverbs 16:3). Having a partner who knows your New Year’s resolutions can be both a blessing and a curse, unless that partner is God. Talking to Him about your goals will give you peace of mind and an opportunity to ask for wisdom and guidance on how to reach your goals. This year, consider these 9 Bible verses as part of your New Year’s resolutions and have peace in knowing that if it’s God’s will for your resolution to be fulfilled, He will enable you to accomplish it.

1.Teach with intelligence. “Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness.” (2 Timothy 2:23-24)

2. Pray for guidance. “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” (James 1:5)

3. Forgive those who have hurt you. “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” (Colossians 3:13)

4. Take care of yourself. “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your body.” (1 Corinthians 19:20)

5. Love others. “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your soul, and with all your strength. The second is this: love your neighbor as yourself. There is no greater commandment than these.”

6. Be a role model. “Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching, show integrity and dignity.” (Titus 2:7)

7. Don’t be discouraged by failures. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)

8. Value your friendships. “Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up. Again, if two lie together, they keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-11)

9. Help those in need. “Then the King will say to those at His right hand, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the King will answer Him, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.'” (Matthew 25:34-40)