Measuring the Worth of a Year

ministry resource from Crosswalk

Measuring the Worth of a Year
Henry Blackaby
Baptist Press


Life is very short, at best. It passes quickly, and it is uncertain at all times. "It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away" ( James 4:14). David understood this all too well and pleaded unto the Lord:

Lord, make me to know my end,
And what is the measure of my days,
That I may know how frail I am.


Indeed, You have made my days as handbreaths,
And my age is as nothing before You. ( Psalm 39:4-5)

Like the years before, 2006 passed very quickly. Did you make time to take a careful and thorough inventory of not only the events of the year, but how you lived your life through those events? If not, take the time to meditate on each of the following questions:

Did I gain a heart of wisdom as I passed through the year 2006?
Am I a better person?
Am I a wiser person?
What consequences have resulted in my life, and the lives of others, from the decisions I made?
Did I learn through tragedy?
Did I invest in the lives of others?
Was I a good steward of what came to me in 2006?
What happened in my family in 2006?
Have I gained a maturity toward Christlikeness?
Did I gain a greater knowledge of God through the Scriptures?
Did my prayer life grow deeper with God?
Did I clearly help my church?
Did I become more effective as a Christian in my workplace?
Am I walking more confidently in God's will for my life?
Have I positioned myself to even greater heights in 2007?
If you answered "No" or "I'm not sure" to any of these questions then you need to ask yourself, "Why?" Why did 2006 not measure up to God's desired will for my life? Why did I not seek God with all my heart? Why did I not grow as a Christian? Was I self-centered instead of God-centered?

Do you need to remove sinful habits from your life? If so, ask God to remove those. Or perhaps you have broken relationships. Ask Him to forgive your transgressions against others and to remove any sin that is causing you and those around you harm. Or, if necessary, ask Him to place within you a heart of forgiveness towards those who have sinned against you. Do not let your heart be filled with anger. Regardless of the circumstances, you must go and mend any broken relationships with family, friends, neighbors and co-workers. These relationships need to be redemptively resolved in order to honor God in the year ahead.

In 2007, be inspired to be God's best! Be determined that all of the questions posed here will be answered this time next year with an emphatic and resounding "Yes!" Allow God to move you from where you are now to where He wants you to be. Make the right choices for your life and grow closer to Him. Ask God to fill your life, and the lives of those you touch, with joy and gladness. And finally, surrender your life fully to Him so that He can create in you "a clean heart" and a greater spiritual maturity with each passing day.


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For more information about Henry Blackaby's ministry and travel schedule, visit his website at www.blackaby.org, call (770) 603-2900, or contact Blackaby Ministries International, P.O. Box 16338, Atlanta, Ga.