"Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.'" {James 3:13-15}

Another year has passed, and a new year is upon us. The older I get, the quicker the years seem to pass by. Each year, I try to take a look back at the previous year and look forward to the new one. This is the time when many folks make resolutions concerning what they intend to do, or not do, during the new year. This year, I would like to suggest going about this in a different way. How about looking forward by looking back. Do you remember the resolutions you made for 2009? How many of them did you keep? Do you even remember the plans you made for last year? How many of your goals had to do with spiritual things? What good are resolutions if they are never kept? What can help us keep the resolutions we make for 2010? Let's consider a few suggestions...

Don't leave God out of your plans. "And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." {Colossians 3:17} When making plans, one must always consider God's will. God is our time keeper. He will not bless our efforts or assist us with the things that are not in accordance with His will. God will help us if we first conform to His will and then to our own. God knows what is best for us.

Set proper priorities. "Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God." {James 4:4} God has directed us to remember that the spiritual side of our lives is the side we need to nurture continually. Each one of us has an established list of things that are important to us-what's at the top of your list? "Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal." {2 Corinthians 4:16-18}

I want to wish all of you the best in 2010. I hope and pray that you will grow in the "grace and knowledge of the Lord," {2 Peter 3:18}. When the year ends-Lord willing the world lasts that long and we live through the year-I hope that you can look back at 2010 and say you accomplished every resolution you made at the beginning of the year. Maybe even a few more. God will help us if we remember that He is our Master, and we are His servants. Nothing is more important than serving Him faithfully in all things. Thank you for reading.