New Year, New Challenges: What I Learnt In 2017
Updated: May 20, 2018
Two zero one seven, as quoted by the preacher I heard a couple of days ago, is now complete! Can you imagine 😱
In my 23.5 years of life, I can say hands down that 2017 has been one of the best (,time definitely flys when you’re having fun). 🙌🏾
“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21 NKJV
This year, God has done more for me than I could have ever asked or imagined. I’ve been tried, I’ve been tested, I’ve been more than a conqueror, I’ve been triumphant.
There has never been a time I’ve looked back at a year and thought “Wow, I’ve come a mighty long way”, until now.
I remember this time last year, planning what I wanted to present at church about reaching goals. It was the first youth programme of the year and the overall 2017 theme was ‘focus’. Focus on myself, God, others & the future. My plan was to get everyone involved by setting themselves three SMART goals.
Specific - It’s all in the details Measurable - How will you know you’re on track? Achievable - Is it possible? Realistic - You’ve gotta be honest here... Timely - Give yourself a deadline!
If you’ve never set goals like this before, I’d advise you try it in 2018 because lo and behold, by the grace of God, I achieved all of mine 💃🏾
I wanted to set goals to reflect three important aspects of life, social, academic and spiritual.
In a nutshell by the start of 2018 I wanted to pray more, love more, work better and be a full license holding driver (,emphasis on the full, the green needed to be pink)! 🙌🏾👌🏾 Honestly, now I can look back and say, God is faithful because it’s through Him that I achieved all of these things!
The lessons I’ve learnt from 2017 are:
1. Don’t Trust Yourself
“My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalms 73:26 NKJV
God is the joy and the strength of my life, He removes all pain misery and strife, He promised to keep me, never to leave me, He’ll never ever fall short of His word... (Google the rest, beautiful song - God is)
The point I’m making is that God really is the only one to trust. I don’t even know what the next minute of my life holds, but God, He holds me and you and this world in the palms of His hands.
2. It Is Possible
“But He said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.”” Luke 18:27 NKJV
Don’t limit God’s power through you. There’s nothing to hard for God to do or to accomplish in your life if you just believe! We often think that God used to be a miracle worker and that all His most famous works are documented history. Lies! The same God that parted the Red Sea, healed the broken, made nobody’s into somebody’s and so much more is the same God that can work wonders in your life today. If He did it before, He can do it again!
3. Sprinkle Everything You Do With Love
“Let all that you do be done with love.” I Corinthians 16:14 NKJV
The reason I came out to Zimbabwe was to witness the wedding of two of my closest friends. The theme chosen for their big day was love. Love God, love family, love friends (,well, something like that). The preacher said that love is as strong as death, but you know what, it’s stronger. Love can make you cry, it can make you sick and it can drive you crazy but love can also give you unspeakable joy, unimaginable happiness and perfect peace.
The reason I decided to start my own business was because I recognised that it’s the things we love the most that make us happy. Whether your thinking of a business venture like me, moving to a new place, starting a new chapter or even planning a wedding, recognise that if you do what you love and love what you do, you will experience happiness on another level.
God really has granted me that happiness. When we do things in love, for love, with love, the rewards abundantly overflow!
There’s not much left to say except for HAPPY NEW YEAR! I hope you have an amazing 2018 whatever it may hold for you. I pray that this year will be the year that you find your focus and achieve greater things than ever before.
What are your plans for 2018?
