Each Year towns and cities all over the country participate in New Year’s Eve parties and parades. One in particular is called the Tournament of Roses parade. Several years ago one of the floats that had entered in sputtered and died right in the middle of the parade. Turns out it was out of gas. The whole parade was held up until someone ran to get a can of gas. The amusing thing was this float belonged to the “Standard Oil Company.”
Despite its vast resources the float still ran out of gas. Even though Christians have access to almighty God, if we don’t dedicate our lives to Him, we will run out of Power.
It doesn’t matter who you know, it matters what you do. Someone once observed that a wasted life is really nothing more than a collection of wasted days. As God gives us life, each one of us starts the new year with the same number of opportunities—365—that we can choose to either use and invest in eternal things or allow to drift by without taking advantage of the gift we have been given.
The difference between those who succeed and those who fail is not found primarily in talent but in diligence and effort. And so the question we should constantly be asking ourselves is, “what are we doing with this new year?” Biblical Christianity requires growth. If who you are now (January 11th) is the same as you were last January, something must change!
God expects us to grow, and if we aren’t growing we have become complacent. So what will we do with this new year? We have the resources, we have the opportunities, so what’s stopping us?
I believe what happens to many of us is we don’t know where to start. We want to be better so we make a plan to read the Bible through in a year. Then we hit Leviticus and it goes out the window. We resolve to pray more and our lives get so busy we forget. We have got to better ourselves since we know it must be a priority, but what are some ways we can be better in 2024?
I’m glad you asked! Here are 6 ways to be better in 2024 from Philippians 4:1-9. Chapter four is where Paul brings everything to a point. Every example, every command, every prayer and request has been said in anticipation of this chapter. Paul desires nothing more than unity for this church at Philippi. He used Timothy, Epaphroditus, Christ, and himself as examples of humility and service because that is what it takes to be united as a body.
Paul gives us ways we can be better as individuals and as a church family:
- Stand firm (1)
- Work Together (2-3)
- Be Joyful (4)
- Learn To Be Gentle (5)
- Pray More (6-7)
- Control Your Thoughts (8-9)
Make this new year a time of growth as a Christian. Let’s be better!
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