As 2001 came to an end, I attended a worship service at an Oklahoma City church. The associate pastor spoke that evening and his theme was “Make a Difference for God Today”. The next few days I thought about what that would really mean for me if I made it my daily prayer in 2002. I realized if I tried to do it in my own power I would be destined to days of frustration. On my own I could not really make a difference, but with God’s power working within me I truly could make a difference for Him. So that became my daily prayer for 365 days and God honored it. Through the last year my faith has grown and I have seen Him do incredible things. It has not been a perfect year. There have been ups and downs, good days and difficult ones. Yet, I have seen God work in mighty ways no matter what my circumstances. By focusing on Him it has helped me take the focus off of myself. He has truly allowed me to daily make a difference for Him.

A few years ago I heard someone say the key to living the Christian life is “to love God with all your heart and then do whatever you want”. It took awhile for that to sink in. It sounded like unbridled license, but it was not. If I truly seek God and truly love Him and truly make the desires of my heart His, then I can do whatever I want. My focus is on Him and the things that I do will be a reflection of that focus.

As you enter 2003, think about scraping that list of New Year’s resolutions that usually are broken in a few days or weeks anyway. What about a commitment instead? What about a commitment to “Make a Difference for God “ each day? Focus on Him. Let Him teach you how to love Him with all your heart. Then daily go about your life and see what He does. I think you will find that you truly are making a difference for Him and there is no greater joy in the Christian life. Happy New Year!

C.F. “Kim” Kimberling, Ph.D.

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