Preparing for a New Year (Part Three)

"Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house." (Proverbs 24:27)

The thought of a new year prompts each one of us to consider new goals for growth. As we enter into this new year, God has some insight as to how we can properly prepare ourselves to grow forward. Without a doubt, this is a desire each one of us have. None of us want to become stagnate; we want to grow and do more for God.

We have already considered two of the ways to prepare for a new year. The first is to Prepare with a purpose. The Bible simply says, "Prepare thy work without." Before we just dive into trying to do things, we must first stop to ask why we are doing what we are doing. Once we have this firmly established, you can move onto the second step which is to Prepare with a Plan. The Bible instructs us to "make it fit for thyself in the field." If all you have are goals and you do not develop a pertinent, personal and practical plan to see those goals become a reality in your everyday life, they will never happen. As one person said, "A dream without a plan is a wish."

Now that you have taken time for these first two steps, the final step is what we will look at here.

Prepare for a Performance

With your purpose firmly established, and a plan set to accomplish that purpose, then you are instructed to "afterwards build thine house." (v.27)

It has wisely been said, "Plan your work, and work your plan." When you determine your purpose and set your plan, it is actually rather fulfilling when it actually comes time to start implementing it.

We oftentimes ascribe all the glory to great performances. For example, when your sports team performs well, you celebrate it. But, we often miss the fact that the reason for any great performance is the preparation that was invested into it.

Another man once said, "Greatness is not in the performance, but in the preparation." The fact of the matter is, when you have prepared to do what God has given you to do, when it comes time to do it, there is immense pleasure in the doing of it.

Time invested now in understanding your purpose in life and planning out the fulfillment of that purpose in the coming year will put you into a position of being able to actually enjoy doing what you know God has led you to do with your life. Living for God is rather enjoyable when you are doing it in conjunction with the One who makes life worth living.

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30)

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