Happy New Year - Seize the Day!!!

by Paula Friedrichsen
Published January 1, 2008

Marriage Enrichment Series - 3 of 12

A new year is upon us and we can’t let this opportunity for a fresh start and new beginning pass us by! 2008 stretches out before us full of possibilities. I believe that this could be the year you experience a breakthrough in your marriage. Your whole life could change this year! But it’s up to you to seize the day. It’s up to you to call upon the Living God. It’s up to you to seek the Lord until you find Him.

A close walk with Christ is the single most important component to a protected, committed, and joyful marriage. Spending time in His presence will bring us healing and restoration. And when we embrace life as a restored, healed Christian (or one who is in the process of being healed and restored), we become easier to live with. We become more forgiving, more insightful, and more loving. As God’s transforming Word enters our hearts and minds, we find it easier to trust His plan for our marriages. “Let go and let God” becomes so much more than a catch phrase; it becomes an actuality in our lives.

Several years ago I felt my relationship with the Lord had hit the doldrums. So on New Years Day 2001 I prayed earnestly for a fresh touch from God. He answered by leading me to purchase a personal calendar and journal—and then to commit to a daily time of personal devotion with Him each day.

Since I was not a new Christian at the time the concept of spending time with God each day and reading His word was not new to me. But the truth was I had become lax in the discipline of spending quality time with God each day. And somewhere along the way spending time with God had become an “obligation” instead of a delight.

I found the biggest hindrance to my new habit was fear of failure. I had committed to spend an hour each day in fellowship with God. I would begin by recording ahead of time how long my quiet time with the Lord would be on my calendar (as well as my other responsibilities and events of the day). Then I determined I would read the Bible for awhile followed by a time of prayer and writing in my journal.

I had to conquer my doubts that I could follow through on my resolution. The only way I knew to do this is by putting one foot in front of the other and going forward!

And as I continued on day by day in this new discipline, the Lord gave me more of His presence, more joy in His word, more excitement, more zeal, and more passion. Sometimes I failed to keep my promise to seek Him—but instead of getting a defeatist attitude and quitting, I continued on in my endeavor. I soon realized that it was His delight to help me.

“There came a time when the risk to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the
risk it took to blossom” Anais Nin

We have the choice to remain just as we are. We can go through 2008 making no spiritual progress. We can give into the fear of failure, being sure that we don’t have it in us to seek the Lord in a more defined manner. We can remain “tight in the bud”, risking nothing. Or we can seize the day! We can risk it all to bloom! We can rise up and run toward Jesus, pursuing a holy, dynamic and intimate relationship with Him. We can determine that this is the year that our walk with God will bloom again. With His help we can live each day, bloom each day, and seize the day!

Paula Friedrichsen is a conference speaker and the author of "The Man You Always Wanted is The One You Already Have" (Multnomah 2007). She lives with her husband and daughter in Northern California.
© 2008 Paula Friedrichsen - All rights reserved.
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This column is used with permission.