THURSDAY 5 JANUARY - WHAT'S ON YOUR "NOT TO DO-LIST" IN 2023?

Read Philippians 3:12-21. Do you have a to-do list for 2023? Maybe it’s a work one, or maybe it’s fun things that you want to do – holidays, days out and so on.

Many of us have a to-do list, and it seems to be a never-ending one! What we sometimes do not realise is that whenever we say “yes” to something and add it to our to-do list, we say “no” to something else. There are only 8,760 hours in 2023 – if we fill them all then we are saying no to other things!

One of the ways to combat this is to have a not-to-do list running alongside your to-do list. For example, not having my emails open all day and responding to them as they come is on my not-to-do list, so that work that needs focus – like preparing these daily devotionals – can be carried out without interruption. To focus on one thing, I must move everything else to my not-to-do list.

That’s what God wants you to do in 2023. He wants you to focus on his purpose for your life – this year and every year. Surely, you don’t want to miss God’s plan for your life by filling it up with all sorts of other things.

So, ask God to clarify what he wants you to do this year. Then ask him what he wants you to eliminate so you can focus on that goal. Add those things to your not-to-do list and then fix your eye on the goal, and in God’s power, go for it!

THINK IT OVER

Think about the following:

What is God’s purpose for you in 2023?