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'The pursuit of happiness'

Tips to help you strengthen your faith, spread love and achieve goals
07/01/2012 01:39 PM

TIPS: Tips to help you strengthen your faith, spread love and achieve goals

WITH 2012 just beginning, it makes sense to thank God for allowing you to see another year – whatever you may have encountered during 2011.

It also makes sense to set yourself some goals, which should include drawing closer to God, loving oneself and others, and fulfilling God’s purpose for your life. Here, Soul Stirrings offers some tried and tested tips to help you through 2012.

Trust God for your needs

Psalm 23 is one of the most memorised Bible passages. The psalmist likens God to a caring shepherd who ensures his sheep are taken to the best pastures, are constantly refreshed, guided and protected when experiencing life’s difficulties, and makes sure that their enemies don’t have the victory over them.

No one knows what 2012 is going to hold, but by allowing God to lead you and trusting in Him, you know you will be protected and given wisdom to deal with life’s trials.
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Don’t stop praying

Prayer is the primary way believers nurture their relationship with God, ask for His direction, make their requests and solicit His help during times of trouble. In Luke 18:1 Jesus tells the parable of the judge and the persistent widow, who didn’t stop asking for justice. During 2012, no matter what happens in your life, keep praying and don’t give up.
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Have a plan

Everyone should have some goals or a dream that they want to achieve in 2012. If you have goals, no matter how impossible they may seem, make a list. If you haven’t set yourself some goals, do so. Your list should serve as your reference point, and when you achieve a goal on the list you can tick it off. It can also serve as a reminder when you feel like you’re losing momentum. Be flexible so if an unexpected but welcome opportunity comes your way you can take advantage of it.
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Make a difference

Christians are called to bring light where there is darkness, and be the salt where there is no flavour. In effect, Christians are called to make a positive difference wherever they find themselves.

Offer a helping hand of support where needed. Help those who are being unjustly treated and seek ways to serve in God’s house. In effect, find ways to use your God-given talents so that you can be a blessing.
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Be grateful

According to www.globalissues.org, over three billion people - almost 50 percent of the world’s population - live on less than £1.60 per day.

Can you imagine living on this amount? Sometimes we need to put lives in perspective and recognise how blessed we are. Be grateful for life, good health, friends and family if you have them, for the freedom to serve and worship God, and the hope our faith gives us.
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Nurture relationships

It’s the quality of the relationships that we have that can make life worth living. The Bible says if we want to have friends we must show ourselves friendly, so if you want more friends, be nice to others.

If you have a disagreement with someone, sort it out. If someone hurts you, forgive them; if you hurt someone, apologise. And if your ‘friends’ are malicious or malign you, pray for them. It’s what God commands you to do.
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Look after your finances

Aim to get finances in order. This may mean cutting down on frivolous spending, clearing one’s debts, and saving more. Having healthy finances gives peace of mind, and puts you in a position to be able to help others.
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Enjoy your life

Whilst Christians are known for being serious and focused on living purposeful lives, it is worth taking note of the fact that the Bible does encourage us to enjoy life’s many pleasures.

Ecclesiastes 9 encourages readers to eat food with gladness, drink wine with a joyful heart, love your partner, and to work joyfully and diligently, because when we die we can’t do anything. You can add travelling the world, doing a hobby, socialising, and having fun to the list. We are called to serve God but He wants us to enjoy our lives too.
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Be an instrument of God’s love

The Bible says that the world will know that we are followers of God by the love we have for our fellow human beings, so aim to be loving. In fact, Jesus stated the greatest commandment is to ‘love God with all our heart, mind and soul, and our neighbour as our self.’

And really the outward working of the Christian faith is to be loving, so love your way through 2012 and I pray you have a blessed year.

Posted on: 07/01/2012 01:39 PM