The year 2017 has been a good year for some, a bad year for some, and just an "OK" year for others. Regardless of how we have lived this year, the fact remains that God is good and we should be grateful to Him for allowing us to experience His love this year.
Being grateful
God's goodness is evident in the fact that we are still alive. The Bible tells us that God is the God of the living, and that His mercies are new every morning. While we're alive we are encouraged to draw near to Him and receive His love. It's such a wonderful privilege.
That said, one of the best ways to respond to His love is to end the year right. Colossians 3:23 tells us, "whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men." We should, then, learn to end the year in ways that please God.
To help you know how to end your year right, I have here a few ways we can end it wrong. I hope we all avoid doing these things because we really wouldn't want its consequences haunting us the following year.
Three bad ways to end 2017
1) Doing something sinful
Sin wrecks anything, period. It destroys lives, corrupts the sinner and others, and will never produce anything that is good. So why should we do something we will regret?
Friends, let's avoid doing anything sinful, most especially now that Christmas parties abound in the home, in the office, and in church. Like David, let us declare Psalm 19:13-14 which says,
"Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults. Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and I shall be innocent of great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer."
2) Being unrepentant
If there's one thing that really destroys the year (or any day - or life, for that matter), it's our decision to not repent for our sins. Seriously, when we fail to repent of something that we should be repenting of, we won't receive God's forgiveness. What could be worse than that? Here's one thing that's worse, carrying that sin into a brand new year, expecting good things from God but not leaving the bad behind. Heed what 1 John 1:8-10 tells us,
"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us."
3) Keeping grudges
If there's one thing we shouldn't be carrying with us into the coming year (even later this day or tomorrow, actually), it's a grudge. We need to release forgiveness to those who have offended us and hurt us, and we need to let go of all bitterness because it's going to poison our lives as we start the coming year. Hebrews 12:14-15 tells us,
"Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled."
