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:

#9. Overcome discouragement.  If you're
stuck in discouragement, don't despair because
God always offers you real hope.  Discouragement
can teach you about your unfulfilled expectations,
and it can also reveal areas of your life that
you need to change with God's help.  So pray
about the source of your discouragement and
shift your focus from yourself to God.  Ask
God to give you an eternal perspective on
your life so you can pay attention to what
matters most and let the rest go.  Schedule
leisure time into your schedule regularly so
you don't get burned out, which can lead to
discouragement.  Make a habit of consistently
encouraging the people around you.

#10. Find true friendships.  Loneliness
can make you feel stuck without hope
of finding others who will truly care about
you and share life's joys and sorrows with
you.  But God will give you the courage
you need to reach out to people and form
true friendships.  Realize that you and a
few close friends can be better together
than you can be apart, because you can
grow through your friendships into the
people God wants you all to become. 
Ask God to give you abundant opportunities
to connect with people and cultivate close
friendships with them.

{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