I don’t know how 2023 was for you. Maybe it was a great year or a year you would rather forget about. 

Personally, it was one of those years when I knew it was time to eliminate a thing or two that no longer belonged in my life. 

You see, I tended not to react well when things went differently than planned. I struggled with anger doing the talking for me. 

For example, when my husband and I spoke to an audience, I preferred that we were focused and stuck to our material. However, my husband has a sense of humor that he likes to incorporate at spontaneous moments. In those moments, anger would swell up inside of me and I would let him know as soon as we were alone. 

God revealed the impact of this anger on my thoughts. I was convicted by the Holy Spirit that I needed to be led by the Spirit rather than my emotions. I desperately looked to the Lord for help and He navigated me through undoing something that had become a norm for me.

I learned to trust that He is in control of all things and that I can rest in Him. So at our last speaking engagement, I smiled when my husband was acting silly because I saw how his humor appealed to the audience. 

In Luke 19:1-6, we read about the tax collector named Zaccheus. According to Thirdmill Study Bible, “The tax collectors were Jews who were appointed by the Roman authorities. They collected taxes for Rome and then often charged their own people outrageous fees for themselves. They were hated by the people and regarded as sinners.” This helps us understand the dismay people felt when Jesus said He would go to Zaccheus’ home for a meal. 

But being in the very presence of Jesus, something happened to Zaccheus’ heart. He knew something had to change about how he handled his finances so he said, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”

Dear Friend, as you begin this new year, is there something that no longer needs to be a part of your life? Go to the Lord with this prayer: “Search me (thoroughly), O God, and know my heart; Test me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.” (Psalm 139:23-24 AMP) He can help you navigate through making the change.

My prayer is that you will experience the fullness of His joy in 2024: “You crown the year with Your bounty, and Your paths overflow.” (Psalm 65:11 AMP)
~Joyce