Jon Taylor – Lead Pastor

Happy New Year! It’s that time of year when some of us make new year’s resolutions or goals. Nothing wrong with that – especially if it is a goal you are motivated to move to accomplish. However – there is something you should do before you decide what you are going to accomplish in the new year. 

It’s this: you need to decide WHO you want to BE before you decide what you want to do. Who you are will always show up in what you do, and you need to have the character to sustain you. You may be able to accomplish great things, but if your character doesn’t reflect the character of Christ, you won’t make it long term.

Unfortunately, we can see examples all around us of people whose talent took them to successes where their character couldn’t sustain them. Our story from the week from Daniel 6:3-5, gives us a good example of someone who had made the correct character choices before he achieved success. Then, when he had great success, his adversaries could find nothing in him to use against him.

Look at verse 4: “… the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent.” That’s good character!

I challenge you to set some be goals for 2017, and to set them from the foundation of daily time in Scripture and prayer. There are many good reading plans available that can help you get in the habit of being in the Word each day. Check out YouVersion and have a look at their plans.

Start the new year off right by deciding WHO you want to BE (the character you want to have), before you decide what you want to do. You’ll have a much better year.