Christian Reflection and Prayer

How You Can Make a Fresh Start
Whitney Hopler

Do you feel stuck? Maybe you don't
like the way your life has been going
lately, but can't seem to change it.
No matter how stuck you may have
become, you can move forward with
God's help. Here's how you can make
a fresh start to change your life for the better:

#5. Define success. If you've been chasing
success in the form of wealth, significance,
or security, you can get stuck never really
achieving the success you want. Recognize
that God defines success far differently than
our culture does. From God's perspective, a
successful person focuses on giving, not getting.
The way to achieve true success is by serving
other people for God's glory. Keep in mind that,
no matter how busy you are, you can always
find the time to do what you most want to do.
So make service a top priority in your life.
Pray for the ability to discern specific ways
God wants you to serve. Start small; simply
see a need and meet it. If you find that a
certain way you've tried to serve turns out
not to be a good match for you, keep looking
for other opportunities to serve well. Be sure
to take time out from serving to rest, though,
to keep your life in a healthy balance. When
you make service a vital part of your lifestyle,
you'll experience life as Jesus experienced it,
and you'll have more of His love flowing through
you. That's the ultimate success.

{Adapted from Fresh Start: God's Invitation to
a Great Life copyright 2009 by Doug Fields.
Published by Thomas Nelson Publishers,
Nashville, Tn., www.thomasnelson.com.)
Article publication date: August 20, 2009