Preparing Your Mind For the New Year

Christmas is over and now it's time to start thinking about 2019. Many are buying planners, reviewing the previous year's accomplishments and setting New Year's resolutions.

I am too.

But what good are any of those things if your mindset's the same? That's the question I'm pondering as I prepare to ring in the New Year.

I've accomplished a lot of good things in 2018. But I can't help but wonder ....




How much more I could've accomplished if I hadn't doubted myself at every turn.

Here's what the Bible says about doubt in James chapter 1 verses 5 though 8...

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

Doubt does two things. The first thing it can do is allow you to be pushed around by circumstances. One mistake and you begin to question your decisions. One harsh word and there goes the entire day.

Funny thing about circumstances, you can't control them. But you can control your response to difficult times.

One bit of advice that has served me well over the years  --- don't say "I'm having a bad day." Instead say "I'm having a bad moment."

Another important piece of advice is found in Ecclesiastes chapter 11 verse 4

 4 Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.

Storm clouds can look scary, but they bring the very thing seeds and plants need to grow -- rain.
Sometimes life is like that too. The very thing that's causing you so much uncertainty could bring the opportunity you've been searching for.

The key is to pay no mind to what's going on around you but to keep working towards your goals.

The second doubt makes you inconstant. One day you're checking off everything on your to-do list. The next, your making no progress at all.

I've always been kind of a self doubter... I just considered it one of my quirks: I love binge-watching t-v and movies, I've never seen a thrift sale I didn't like ... oh and I pretty much question myself all the time.

But doubt is more than just a bad habit, it's an obstacle to finding God's purpose for your life.

This New Year, I encourage you join me in examining your mindset and eliminating the negative thinking that's keeping you from making a mark on this world.