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:

#11. Redeem rejection. Memories of past
rejections can leave you stuck without the
will to take new risks and try to pursue God's
best for your life. But while people in our
fallen world will inevitably let you down, God
will always be there for you when you need
Him. You can have complete confidence that
God loves you unconditionally and will help
you move forward with your life to fulfill good
purposes. Choose to live to please God,
not other people.
Ask God to help you see the potential that
He sees in your life. Pray to have compassion
on the people who reject you, realizing that
they're hurting people in need of God's grace,
just like you. Let your experiences of rejection
make you a more compassionate person toward
other people. Invite God to pour out His love
through your life to help heal the pain that others
feel and draw them to Him.

#12. Attack anger. If you're stuck in anger,
God will give you the peace you need to
overcome it. Delay responding immediately
to people and situations that make you angry.
Step back to ask yourself, "Why am I really
angry?" Realize that anger is a secondary
emotion; try to identify what the primary emotion
is that's causing your anger (frustration,
disappointment, annoyance, fear, etc.).
Defuse your anger by choosing to respond
in a peaceful way, despite your feelings
(such as deleting an offensive e-mail without
reading it or making a joke about a hurtful
comment someone makes). After you've
had enough time to calm down, you can
confront the people who make you angry
through calm conversations that let them
know how they made you feel. Pray for
the wisdom and power you need to choose
peace over anger.

{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