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January 1
A Prayer for Newness
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Dear God,
Thank You for being the Maker of all things new. As a believer who trusts in Jesus, I affirm that the old has gone and the new is here. I am a new creation. Today is a new day.
Help me to make the right decisions and say goodbye to the former things, like bad habits, addictions, and negative attitudes. Help me in each day to become more aware of whose I am. Teach me to reflect Your image and not mimic the patterns of this world. Transform my mind so I will grow in Your wisdom and discernment and discover what Your plan is for my life.
When I get overwhelmed by doubt or insecurity, remind me that in You I am a masterpiece—that even before I was in my mother’s womb, You created me to do good works in Your name. I pray those things come to pass in their right time.
As I begin to grow and learn through these devotionals, open my spiritual eyes and ears to recognize the hope of Your calling and to value what’s most important. Thank You for leading and guiding me.
In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen.
Based on: 2 Corinthians 5:17; Isaiah 43:18–19; Romans 12:2; Ephesians 2:10; 1:18
January 2
The Greatest Trade
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If anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
2 Corinthians 5:17
In 1975, in what is arguably one of the worst trades in sports history, the Milwaukee Bucks traded Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Bucks got four players in return, none matching the caliber of talent Abdul-Jabbar possessed. He would go on to make history with the Lakers, winning five championship titles and a record six MVPs. This story makes me grateful for being on the receiving end of the greatest trade in the history of the world: God exchanging the sin of humanity for the righteousness of Christ.
Because of His trade, we go from old to new. From dead to alive. Darkness to light. Bondage to freedom. Separation to united with Christ. Lost to found. In debt to paid for. We don’t have to earn or work for salvation. We definitely don’t deserve it. Jesus paid the price for us. It cost Him everything. It was also His mission.
When we accept Jesus, we are viewed as righteous. We are made right with God, and we experience the joy of a new, purpose-filled life. So live out of that joy. Celebrate this new life you have because you have been traded to the greatest team of all: the family of God.
How does being reminded that you are part of the greatest trade of all encourage you to live out your purpose?
January 3
You Are a Divine Work of Art
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We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
Ephesians 2:10
Many people spend their lives wondering if they’re normal (or wanting to be), hoping to fit in. Maybe you’ve experienced this. Maybe, to feel a sense of belonging, you wore the same brands or listened to the same music as everyone else. It’s funny how hard we try to be something we’re not.
Trying to fit in is a solid strategy for living an average life. But God didn’t call you to be average. He didn’t make you the same as everyone else. When the apostle Paul called us God’s workmanship, he used the Greek word poiema, which means “making,” in the biggest, most creative sense of the word. A good translation might be “the works of God as creator.”1 Some translations use “masterpiece” instead of “workmanship.” You are a divine work of art.
You are one of one, created in love, for love, and by Love.
When you start to embrace and even celebrate how God made you, you can begin to do extraordinary things. When you accept your divine image and see yourself as God sees you, the stress and anxiety of comparison will fade away. Be free to be who God says you are. You matter too much to God to be just like everyone else.
What does it mean to be an image bearer of God? How does that make you see other people as valuable?
January 4
God Is Looking for You
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The eyes of the Lord roam throughout the earth, so that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.
2 Chronicles 16:9
God longs to help you create and live a mission-possible life. But we all must realize it is only through Him that this is possible.
It’s important to understand the context of the above passage. The words were spoken by the seer Hanani to King Asa of Judah, the southern kingdom of Israel. King Asa had once relied on God for deliverance from a formidable enemy. God had come through and proved His faithfulness. For the next thirty-five years, King Asa enjoyed a peaceful reign. However, when Baasha, the king of the northern kingdom of Israel, threatened to invade Judah, King Asa’s dependence on God shattered. Instead of seeking divine help as he had done in the past, King Asa sought the aid of a foreign country. He was admonished by Hanani, who reminded him that God looks for loyalty and devotion—for men and women who wholeheartedly seek Him.
It seems much easier at times to depend on self-sufficiency rather than an invisible God. Yet God is searching for you. He is looking for the heart that longs for Him—that desires to know, depend on, and be committed to Him. As His eyes roam the earth, will they land on you?
What is holding you back from being all in and letting God help you live mission possible?
January 5
Aim for Significance
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What good will it do a person if he gains the whole world, but forfeits his soul?
Matthew 16:26
I believe that one of the greatest tragedies would be to reach the end of one’s life and look back and say, “I was successful in things that did not matter.” I want you to be successful, but more than anything, I want you to be significant. And when you live for Jesus and you love people, you’re going to have a life of eternal significance, no matter how insignificant your life looks on the outside.
I like to think of success in material ways, but significance is harder for us to grasp. Success is focused on self—for example, becoming an entrepreneur, reaching certain milestones, or just excelling in one’s occupation. Significance has an outward reach; when we strive for eternal significance, we become compelled to share and give back. When we succeed, we influence our own lives; when we are significant, we influence others.
To transcend from individual success to lasting significance, you must find a need and use your gifts to meet it.
What have you been given? Are you using your gifts to influence what really matters?
To be truly successful, aim for significance.
How can you shift your idea of success into a more meaningful way of making your life count?
January 6
Willingness Is What Is Required
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If you are willing and obedient,
You will eat the best of the land.
Isaiah 1:19
A mission-possible life is not about our ability; it’s about being willing. When Moses was eighty years old, he was still working as a shepherd for his father-in-law. We’re not sure what his retirement plan was at that point, but it sure doesn’t seem like the career plan a man who had been raised in a royal court would appreciate. However, everything changed when God spoke to him through a burning bush. Moses received instructions to return to Egypt, the place from which he had fled forty years earlier, and lead the nation of Israel out of captivity. Moses hardly seemed the man for the job. He told God this by listing five excuses why God must have gotten His wires crossed:
1. “I don’t have the ability” (see Exodus 3:11).
2. “I don’t know enough” (see verse 13).
3. “What if the people don’t believe me?” (see 4:1).
4. “I’m the worst speaker ever!” (see verse 10).
5. “Send someone else” (see verse 13).
But God didn’t let the reluctant man’s bevy of excuses keep the mission from moving forward. The stage was set, and Moses was already part of the scene. Despite Moses’s perceived lack of abilities and skills, God was waiting for him to offer his willingness. Eventually, Moses relented and carried out an incredible rescue mission.
A mission-possible life is not about feeling ready; it’s about being willing.
What excuses hold you back from being willing to step forward and live mission possible?
