For many people 2021 is going to be a tough year. If you liked the way the 2020 presidential election turned out your year might not be quite so tough, but it will still be a tough year to some degree. If you did not like the way the presidential election turned out, 2021 could be a very difficult year. President-elect Biden has even said we are headed into darker days ahead. That is reassuring is it not?

So, what can we do? What can all of us do to make 2021 our best year possible? Be in right standing with God. This includes getting in right standing, remaining in right standing and returning to right standing when we veer off the path and fall out of fellowship. What is included in being in right standing with God?

  1. Salvation

We must be saved. We must have entered into a relationship with God to be in right standing with Him. That should make perfect sense.

  1. Daily walk

What will help us maintain that commitment every day is to practice several disciplines. Practice Romans 12:1-2. Put those verses into practice literally. Next, we need to admit we are weak in the flesh. We cannot do this on our own, but He is strong and in Him we can do this. Practicing these two disciplines, decide today to make a commitment something like this – “With the empowerment of God, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, I am going to live for the Lord each day, one day at a time, in fellowship with God.” Adding to that, we need to confess sin using 1 John 1:9 as our motivation. We should also remember Psalm 66:18. “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” Another discipline is to live life to the fullest one day at a time. In Matthew 6:34 Jesus said, “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things…” He was really encouraging people to live to the fullest today and focus on tomorrow when tomorrow gets here. The third item is

  1. Be under His authority

Accept the biblical truth that all authority is delegated, and everyone is under authority. For support, turn to passages like Luke 7:8-9, Luke 9:35, and Matt. 28:18-20.

 

At this point, you might be asking, “Why should we do all this?” In doing this we are respecting God’s design for order. Also, we are putting ourselves in the best possible position for His protection, illumination and blessing. In the model prayer, Jesus gave us a very important reminder as He taught the disciples to pray, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.” From the very outset of this prayer, we are recognizing His authority over our lives. Happy New Year and have a great 2021.