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(1) Live fully in the present. Don’t fall into the trap of obsessing over the past or future. Learn from the past. Thank God for blessings in the past. Yes. But don’t obsess over past failures or hurts or disappointments. Don’t dwell on some past glory day and forever compare the present negatively (“It was so much better back then”). Plan for the future. Look forward to God’s grace in the future. Yes. And don’t worry about possible disasters in the future that may never happen. Moreover, don’t always be “living for the weekend” for some wonderful event in the future, with the result that you view today as “humdrum.” Some people are so focused on the weekend or some looked-forward-to event that they miss out on the wonders and blessings of today. So live fully in the present, with eyes wide open to the blessings God is giving you now.
(2) Resist and avoid the “Another Monday” mentality. You know, the mindset that says, “Ugh. It’s another Monday,” which means “This Monday is the same as every other Monday. No, actually, it’s not. There has never been this Monday before. It is brand new. It has never before existed. It is unique. Yes, many of the things that have happened on previous Mondays will happen on this one. But it is not a clone. Who knows what excitement or blessings God intends to give, or what opportunities are there for the taking. So resist the “Another Monday” mentality and see every day as brand new, a day that has never before existed with all the possibilities that that entails.
(3) Every day, at the beginning of your day, pray: “Use me, O Lord, as an instrument of your grace.” Pray that prayer relentlessly, constantly, tenaciously, tirelessly. In fact, before this day is over, pray, “In this new year of your favor, this year of my Savior, this year of salvation, this year of your grace, this year of your gracious presence in my life through Jesus Christ, use me, as you will. Use me today. Use me every day. Use me this year. Use me for the rest of my life. I am yours. I live to serve you.” Your life will never be the same—I guarantee it. Why? Because God always answers this prayer.
(4) Don’t live your life sitting around waiting for good things to happen to you. Make good things happen. Take action. Set things in motion. Do something. Make that change you’ve been thinking about. Start that thing you’ve been wanting to start. Embark on that new endeavor. Only if those things are pleasing to the Lord, of course. Don’t sit around waiting for good things to happen to you. Make them happen, as far as you are able.
(5) Most importantly, be strengthened by God’s grace in this new year of grace. You do this by making use of his means of grace, His Word and Sacraments. Immerse yourself in the Gospel: in the preaching of God’s Word, in the use of the holy Supper, in participation in the liturgy, in the reading of the Bible. Only if you are strengthened by God’s grace will you able to do the previous four tips. Let this be the year that you finally do what you’ve always thought about doing: immerse yourself in the things of God; give the Bible the attention it deserves. Read it daily. Read it through. Forget about past failed attempts. Do it today!
Dr. Richard P. Bucher
January 2006
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