You Can Make a Difference in 2016

Having had many years in the past, I am looking at this year from a different perspective. I want to try new things. I want to make a difference. I was awake as it was counted: 5…4…3…2…1... New Year began and 2015 is now history. You can do nothing about the past but you can change your destiny. You can make a difference in your life and the lives of those around you, including your community.

The past year has brought so much change in my life; Changes in my occupation, my ministry, my friends, my church and even something as basic as changes in my schedule. Change can be hard. Change can be uncomfortable. Change can even be painful. I dropped some old friends and got new ones. I visited some places that I never visited and really got new experiences.  Everything healthy undergoes change

As you look ahead at this coming year, my challenge to you is to be open to change. But more than simply being open to change, it’s important to actually do our part to create change; Changes that will benefit our life and impact our health - physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  One thing I can guarantee you is that this year is going to go by, and you’re either going to come out the other side better, worse, or the same. Because life happens, but what we do with life is completely up to us.

If you’re looking to better yourself this year and make a difference, consider taking on these challenges:

• Practice Being Present : We’ve sort of lost the art of connecting to real people in real life. This year, consider setting your phone aside a little more, in exchange for more of real life.
• Dig into God’s Word : This one is for me this year. I really want to dig into God’s word in a new way.
• Do Something New : So stop waiting around for the next big thing, and start living life by doing it for yourself this year. As you’re planning it out, think meaningfully. Whatever it is, stop waiting and start living. Create a meaningful life by doing meaningful things.
• Get Involved in Community : One of the most meaningful things you can invest in this year is people. The concept of community is such an important part in the life of a Christian because it is in the context of our relationships that we have the opportunity to learn how to give-and-receive love. Take initiative, have the courage to be vulnerable, and get involved in community like never before this year.
• Learn to Budget Money and Time : Like John Maxwell says, “Tell your money where to go instead of wondering where it went!” I would venture to say that this applies to money, as well as time - the most important commodities we have in life. Be deliberate about planning your budget this year for both your money – and your time.
• Be Actively Generous : We can all afford to be more generous. And generosity is such an important thing to foster, because it really shapes the condition of our heart. The more we can give to God, the world around us, and that in need, the more we realize that the most valuable things are not our possessions, but the sharing of our possessions. Open your heart and learn to give this year. Because where your treasure is, there your heart will be as well.
• Get a Mentor : No one has been more influence in my life than my mentors. They’re people who have invested in me, taught me, loved me, and poured into my life. They shaped me into the person I am today. But they didn’t stumble into my life by mistake; I had to seek them out. Find someone who you look up to, someone whose life reflects who you want to be in 10 years, and ask them to meet with you for lunch, for coffee, or for dinner. Invite a mentor into your life this year, and watch what happens.
• Become a Mentor : Sometimes it can be hard to see ourselves as a “mentor. But the truth is we all have something to offer. We can offer support, prayer, a listening ear, or our life experience. Find someone that you can pour into, disciple, and encourage this year. Because like the Proverb says, when we refresh others, we’ll also be refreshed.
• Use Your Talents and Passion : What are the talents and passions God has gifted you with, and how are you using those talents for him? That’s an important question to answer in your pursuit of becoming the person God made you to be. Whether or not you realize it, you have so much to offer the world around you.
• Master the Art of Listening : They say the average person listens with about 25% efficiency. That means that 75% of what’s being said to us goes in one ear and right out the other. So much of being a good communicator comes down to how well we master the art of listening. Work on being a better listener this year by blocking out distractions, looking people in the eye, engaging with empathy, and letting your guard down as you seek to understand before being understood.
• Be More Active : Use a little more physical health and fitness in your lives. Take inventory of your life and examine the changes that need to be made as you strive to honor God with your body more this year.
• Read One Book a Month: Pick up some new books this year and expand your knowledge about life.

May we all strive to make this year the best one we’ve ever lived. Because life happens, it’s completely up to us how we choose to live it. Go an extra mile. Let us make a difference in our lives and those around us in 2016