Paul is declaring in Phil. 3,13-14: “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Many Christians has been caught in the trap of comfort and laziness. Our greatest fear is stress, and everything that sounds like doing something, working hard, looks like it will be a stressful thing and we just do not feel like doing it! The fact is that for many people comfort is the highest goal for the year, and many have more holiday and more rest as the highest goal for their life as a whole.
Let me state clearly: The highest happiness and satisfaction you could get in life is not plenty of comfort and holidays! No, that is to work hard with joy towards your life mission - a goal that you have set for yourself together with your Lord and Master, Jesus Christ! That gives your life meaning and satisfaction and makes every day exciting to live!
Do not imitate the masses of people that live on average and laziness. Break out of it and set great goals for yourself! Dream big dreams and release your creativeness which the Lord himself has given to you. Even if you just reach halfway – you are still miles before the others that did not set any goals for themselves. Do not let anything hold you back, and remember that your decisiveness to go for your great dreams releases divine energy and power within you.
Some speak about people that are overworked in jobs and there is too great pressure on them with expectations from people around them. The truth is rather that this happens with you have forgotten to put demands on yourself, forgotten to have goals to stretch towards that are far higher than the expectations from people around you. When you raise the bar above the expectations of the others, then the joy comes back. That is far better than to give up and just sit down to rest disappointed. You will become more stressed in your good chair thinking about all the things you should have done, than if you actually did these things!
Set goals for the New Year! Say with Paul: “I am forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me!” Now it is YOU! You do create your own tomorrows by the thought that you are thinking and the dreams that you dare to dream today. Dream Gods wonderful dreams for you and go for them with all you have – what an exciting year it will be for you!