Hennie Symington

The attitude you should have is the one that Christ Jesus had: He always had the nature of God, but he did not think that by force he should try to remain equal with God. Instead of this, of his own free will he gave up all he had, and took the nature of a servant. He became like a human being and appeared in human likeness. Philippians 2:5

I pray that you may have your roots and foundation in love, so that you, together with all God's people, may have the power to understand how broad and long, how high and deep, is Christ's love. Yes, may you come to know his love — although it can never be fully known — and so be completely filled with the very nature of God. Ephesians 3:16-19

Rule one: Show the world what God is like. People learn what God is like by observing those who act in a godly way. You don’t have to be perfect, but you can reflect something of God’s nature by following in his footsteps.

Rule two: Be grateful for the life God has given you. The greatest compliment to the giver is to enjoy the gift fully. You owe it to your Creator to be as happy as you can possibly be, without burdening yourself with needless regrets and recriminations. Life is more than a test where you are required to demonstrate how good or clever you are. It is an adventure with highs and lows and even some bad times, but it always remains an incomparable adventure.

Rule three: When you hit rock bottom, move on or try at least to set one foot in front of the other even it takes all you’ve got. If the darkness seems overwhelming, try to look ahead as far as you can. There will be light.

Rule four: Expect to experience times of doubt since faith is not a simple mathematical equation or an exact science. If at times life seems uneventful, boring or simply sad, take each day as it comes. Take comfort in the knowledge that Jesus wept, saints also sinned, and that even Peter betrayed Christ and the disciples failed Christ at the most crucial time in his life when they fled in stead of standing firm for what they believed in.

Rule five: Accept that faith binds you with holy ties and at times may lead you where you do not want to go. God is not lead about by you; He is the one who leads.

Rule six: Be willing to die a little of your own self to be with God, since God died to bring you closer to him.

Rule seven: Create space in your heart to love. Practise unconditional love, keeping in mind that one can never love enough.

Rule eight: Accept who and what you are and stop stressing about what you’re not. Accept that you fall short of the ideal – just like every single person on earth! That is called the human condition. God alone is wholly good and pure.

Rule nine: Let bygones be bygones. Accept that life goes on. Mourn your losses, celebrate your victories, and live life to the full.

Rule ten: Be part God’s family. Life is a group outing which embraces family, community, church, country and all that it entails! Accept that there are sacred ties that bind you and that freedom only has meaning in belonging to a community – a community which defines your place in the greater order of things. (adapted from internet source)

Keeping the above in mind, live as you’ve never lived before, and love as you’ve never loved before because God made you to live and to die, to laugh and to cry, and to be all He dreamed you could be – his beloved child!

Prayer: Thank you Lord for yet another year with new challenges ahead. Thank you that you continue to love me and care for me. Amen