They say hindsight is 20/20, but what if you were able to look into the future? What would you see for your life? Perhaps you’d like to see yourself with a better job or finishing school. You might be hoping to be married or to know your children are living blessed lives. Maybe you’d like to lose weight, get stronger, or build up your endurance so that you’ll be able to run five miles or even a marathon. Perhaps you’ve always wanted to write a book or start your own business. Many of us set goals or resolutions for the New Year, but what about 10 years from now? We’ve entered into a new decade with so much possibility. How are you going to reach your goals or attain that which you hope for in the future?

According to U.S. News & World Report, the failure rate for New Year’s resolutions is approximately 80 percent, with most people abandoning their resolve by mid-February. How can you be a part of that rare 20 percent who sets goals and goes after them with commitment and tenacity? I’m not just talking goals for 2020, but for the entire next decade! Your future, your destiny, is in God’s sovereign hand. At the same time, the choices you make, your faithfulness and intentionality, are also an important component. So, I’d like to offer four steps you can take each and every day to ensure that this decade is different—and better—than the last.

Trust in God

In order to finish each day one step closer to your goals, you must start the day by determining that you are going to fully trust God…that you will entrust Him with everything you will encounter—the good and the bad, all your cares and worries. Psalm 33 is a beautiful passage of Scripture that tells of God’s might and trustworthiness. It declares that His “Word is right and true, and that He is faithful in all he does” (verse 4). He alone is full of unfailing love (verse 5). The Lord made everything, and everything is under His command (verses 6-9). He alone can bless our nation (verses 10-12). He alone can save (verses 16-19). Each morning, declare, “God, you are so worthy of my trust. Come what may today, I’m going to trust and not get thwarted by something I don’t understand or that which may frustrate me. I’m not going to give up today because you never give up on me.”

Set Spiritual Goals

Most people focus on the physical when setting goals for the future—their weight, their fitness, their career or money, or some habit they want to break such as smoking or spending less time on social media. But how many of us set spiritual goals? Our spiritual health sets the foundation for everything else we do. Second Corinthians 4:16 says, “Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day,” and in verse 18, “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” What good is it if you obtain your dream career, but your spirit is starved of time spent with God, your Heavenly Father? What good is it if you’ve lost 20 pounds, or can bench press twice as much as you could last year, or complete a triathlon, if inside you are losing a battle with anger, fear, selfishness, lust, greed, or impatience? Spiritual disciplines, like spending time every day in prayer and reading the Bible, are far more important than physical goals. Let spiritual goals be your number-one priority, and the rest will follow.

Pray

Proverbs 29:18 says, “When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the law is joyful.” We must seek God’s will for our lives by praying and asking Him what He would have us do each day. Are you asking God to show you His plan for your life? Proverbs 16:9 says, “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” Are you praying to God throughout the day? When you are frustrated at work or school, I want to encourage you to pray. When you don’t feel like forgiving someone, pray. When you are feeling lonely or in need of an accountability partner, pray. When you need help staying the course, pray. When you don’t know the next right step or what to do, pray.

Write it Down

Lastly, write down your God-directed goals and put them somewhere you will see every day. Keep the plan in front of you. Read your plan, goals, or resolutions out loud each day. With every goal, ask yourself, “What small step am I going to take today to reach my goal?” Ask God to help you. I have no doubt that the Lord will encourage you and strengthen you to reach your goals that are in accordance with His will. He will meet you with abundant love and grace if you mess up, and He is honored and glorified when you succeed. So, if you fall short, dust yourself off and rejoice because each day carries with it 86,400 seconds—that’s 86,400 chances—to begin again.

Your destiny is dependent on a loving God and right choices each day. It’s a divine partnership that will lead to a decade you can be proud to look back on and clearly see God’s grace and provision every step of the way. “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:31).

Pastor Dudley Rutherford is the author of “Compelled: The Irresistible Call to Share Your Faith” and the senior pastor of Shepherd Church, which has three campuses in the Greater Los Angeles area—Porter Ranch, Woodland Hills, and Agua Dulce. You can connect with Dudley on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @pastordudley and @dudleyrutherford

The night Jesus was born, God gave us three extraordinary gifts. God’s first gift to us was love—a profound, intense, divine love. The almighty Creator of the universe set aside His magnificent power and glory and took on a human form to bring salvation to the world. “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16 NLT). Jesus washed away our sins with His perfect love that we may forever be with Him. In His all-knowing wisdom, God chose to love us even though we did nothing to deserve His favor or love.

The night Jesus was born, God gave us peace—supernatural, never-ending peace. That night in Bethlehem, shepherds watched over their flock of sheep, “Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those with whom God is pleased’” (Luke 2:13-14). Jesus, who is called the Prince of Peace, took the punishment we deserved for our sins, to make it possible for us to have unity and peace with God. “Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us” (Romans 5:1). The inner calm that results from confidence in one’s personal relationship with Jesus is peace that only He can give.

The night Jesus was born, God gave us joy—inexpressible, overwhelming, genuine joy. An angel announced to the shepherds, “‘…Don’t be afraid!’ he said. ‘I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people’” (Luke 2:10). The joy the angel spoke of is a true fulfillment that only comes from trust and satisfaction in the Lord. In Psalm 16:11 David wrote, “You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.” True joy is eternal because it is based on our personal relationship with Jesus that is itself an unending source of joy. Joy is a sense of comfort and confidence experienced by one who knows all is well between himself and the God. Paul wrote in Romans 15:13, “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Amidst the hectic flurry of activities during this Christmas season, I challenge you to take time to pause and meditate on these amazing gifts that God gave us on the night Jesus was born. How can we show our gratitude to God? The best way to thank God is to use these gifts to bless others. We should extend our love, kindness, generosity, and compassion to as many people as we can so that they may experience God’s love through our actions. Loving others is evidence of a true believer in Christ. “‘So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples’” (John 13:34-35).

Remember that love, peace, and joy cannot be found inside busy malls or within a pile of expensive presents, but from our generous Father in Heaven through His Son Jesus Christ. Christmas is perhaps one of the single greatest opportunities to speak about Jesus during an entire year, giving us an open door to explain the reason for the season! This Christmas, consider inviting your family, friends and neighbors to fellowship with you at home or at church. And tell them the amazing story about the gifts God gave us on the night Jesus was born!

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Pastor Dudley Rutherford is the author of “Compelled: The Irresistible Call to Share Your Faith” (available on Amazon) and the senior pastor of Shepherd Church, which has three campuses in the Greater Los Angeles area—Porter Ranch, Woodland Hills, and Agua Dulce. You can connect with Dudley at dev.fishhookcms.com/ and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

From time to time, I will take a break from social media, knowing there are many important issues to discuss every week. Honestly, there are times when it’s too much—too many topics on which to voice opinions and concerns. As a pastor, I always have to pray and ask God whether or not I ought to comment on every political, social, and tragic story that hits the news. There are times I want to, but there are times when it is simply not wise. Will my voice help and encourage? Will it unify? Will it point people to the Lord?

I know that there are people in our church and community who want to know where God is in difficult times or what Jesus would say if He were still here in the flesh. What should we say as believers in Jesus Christ in the midst of an endless news cycle? What should we do as Christians in seasons of divisiveness or uncertainty or sorrow? Should we say anything at all?

I am constantly reminded just to pray and to do what I can in my little world. In Matthew 5:13-16 Jesus called His followers to be the salt and light, and that means we are to share His light, His joy, His love, and His truth right where we are. Today, in your own home or neighborhood or workplace, you can make a difference and set the tone. Where there is divisive talk, you can choose to speak words of encouragement and unity. Where there is hopelessness, you can share the hope of God’s plan for the entire world. Where there are petty squabbles, you can refocus the conversation to what is truly important in this life. Where there is endless bad news, you can share the Good News of Jesus Christ!

Someone recently said to me, “I want to be the man I am supposed to be.”  I said in return, “No, you need to be the man God wants you to be.” As believers, we need to continually seek the will and heart of God in all our decision making, words, and actions. Examining His Word on matters of justice, morality, and difficulty—or when we are worried or afraid—gives us peace that surpasses understanding (Philippians 4:7). First Chronicles 16:11 encourages us to, “Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!”

Second Timothy 2:23-24 warns,

“Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.”

You know, some people just love to argue. As for me, I’m sick of it. Tired of it. No need for it. Reject it. I want to be a vessel in the hands of God, so I can clearly lift up Jesus that the world might believe (John 12:32).  Our politicians and media are in a race to see who can divide us and how quickly.  I have determined NOT to be caught up in the fray—to continue to see and view all people through the lens of love and grace, which is the same lens by which God views me.

You have a choice…we all do…to either go with the flow by helping other people divide us, or to make sure that within your circle you bring life-giving words (Proverbs 18:21). Look to every person and see them as God sees them: as a human being, created in God’s image and in need of saving grace.

Pastor Dudley Rutherford is the author of “Compelled: The Irresistible Call to Share Your Faith” and the senior pastor of Shepherd Church, which has three campuses in the Greater Los Angeles area—Porter Ranch, Woodland Hills, and Agua Dulce. You can connect with Dudley at dev.fishhookcms.com/ and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

What is one soul worth to God? To truly understand the answer to this question helps us push past our fear of sharing our faith with others.  If we could begin to see every person we come across as an invaluable soul with an eternal destiny, it would change everything. Billy Graham once wrote,

“The soul longs for God. Down deep inside every person’s heart is a cry for something, but he doesn’t quite know what it is. Man is a worshiping creature. He instinctively knows that there is something out there somewhere, and he longs to know that something or someone. Your soul longs for vital contact with God. Your soul is valuable because it is eternal—it is forever.”

The lost are of inestimable worth to God. This becomes astonishingly clear as we read through Luke 15, where Jesus shared the parables of the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Lost Son. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law disdained the fact that Jesus welcomed tax collectors and sinners. Knowing this, Jesus told three stories to help them understand God’s heart for people whom the Pharisees didn’t think were worthy. In each story, Jesus told of the great lengths to which each person went in order to find that which was lost.

Sheep

Surely Jesus’ audience could relate to the value of sheep. Domestic sheep were of great importance in biblical times. “Herds of sheep formed the greater part of the wealth of the Patriarchs. The chief animal of sacrifice, and valued for both milk and wool. Sheepskins were made into rough coats. The horns were used as vessels for carrying liquids, particularly oil.”

So Jesus asked the Pharisees and teachers of the law to ponder owning a hundred sheep and asked what a shepherd would do if one sheep went missing.

“Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’”

Coins

Then He asked them to consider a woman who owned ten silver coins and lost one. Jesus probably was referring to silver coins called “drachma.” They were worth the equivalent of a denarius, about a day’s wages for the common laborer. That was a lot of money back then! Jesus asked,

“Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’”

After these first two parables, Jesus revealed something powerful: “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Why would all of heaven be exuberantly happy over a repentant sinner? Because lost souls matter to God!

A Prodigal Son

To drive home this point, Jesus told them a third parable of a prodigal son who asked his father for his inheritance early. You remember the story, right? The young man left home and squandered his wealth on foolish pleasures. Humiliated and starving, he was literally living in a pigsty—and the pigs were eating better than he was! So he came to his senses and decided to return home and beg his father for forgiveness. He intended to ask his father if he could become one of his father’s hired servants.

But the Bible says the dad was filled with compassion, ran to his son—which in that time and culture would have been an act of major humility—and hugged and kissed him.

The son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.”

But the father said to his servants, “Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” So they began to celebrate.

Rejoice. Rejoice. Celebrate. Over and over again in these parables we see the great mercy of our God toward sinners—and His unbridled joy when they repent. The lost are so very valuable to Jesus, and they should be to us as believers in Christ as well.