If you want to have a good 2014 then there are three things that you NEED to do in order to ensure that this coming year is better than your previous one. “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” (Ephesians 5:1-2) So how can you be imitators of God and walk in love? Let’s go to Ephesians 5:15-17 (GNB) “So be careful how you live. Don’t live like ignorant people, but like wise people. Make good use of every opportunity you have, because these are evil days. Don’t be fools, then, but try to find out what the Lord wants you to do.” Three Objectives for the new year: 1. Be careful of how you live. Where did you fall short in 2013? Did you live in the same way God would live or did you just fall terribly short of achieving even the slightest expectations you thought you may have had at the beginning of the year? If you didn’t live godly, then what do you plan on doing to remedy that? 2. Make good use of every opportunity. Carpe Diem (seizing a day) is too easy. Paul said to imitate God we must Carpe omnia singula puncta temporis (seize each and every moment). In Matthew 6, Jesus tells his disciples to forget about worrying about tomorrow because when you do, you miss out on seeking the kingdom of God right now. Did you maximize everything you were given in 2013? What did the opportunities look like? How will you recognize them in the future? 3. Find out what the Lord wants you to do. What did you learn about yourself and the passions in your heart? This is the great joy of life that we so easily miss out on because of the everyday rigors of living life. God’s will for you in written all over your life we would simply take the time to seek how God moves you and how you find your being through the passions burning within us. For some of us that is to use that creative spark for engineering, others healing, others teachings, others of us doing math that no human being should be doing. But all of us were created by God uniquely so that you can touch the lives of every single person around you. He wants you touch their lives as He touches yours and inspire them through the Holy Spirit within you that moves and brings you refreshing. Let’s strive for these things in 2014.