Change for Good

If you’re reading this New Year’s Eve, now’s the time to make some changes in your life.

First, if you're in the area, go see the movie, “Flywheel” (9 p.m. tonight) at First Brethren in Buena Vista. Fun family-friendly celebrations on New Year’s Eve are in short supply. But this is an exception! And admission is free—so you can afford to bring the whole family! (If you're not in the area, go buy or rent it and watch it.)

“Flywheel” will not only entertain you, it will challenge you to change your life for good. Motivational speaker Zig Ziglar said “Flywheel” is “entertainment that packs a message right where we all live and work.”

In the movie, Jay Austin is a used car dealer you hope you’ll never meet. Even his wife and his son don’t trust him! What’s worse, all his dreams are crumbling around him.

This movie will get you thinking about how today could be the beginning of a new day in your life. As Jay Austin learns, “In every man’s life there is a turning point.”

Movie critic Ted Baehr said Flywheel “Totally captures and entertains.”

But wait, there’s more! There will be free popcorn, door prizes and you can “Ring in the New Year” with the church bell at midnight! The whole family will enjoy it.

That being said, what about 2008? Some of you are reading this in the New Year.

Well hold it right there for just a minute. Before you take another step into 2008, look at where your life is headed.

If you’re not completely happy with where life is taking you, why not change direction? Remember the dreams you once had? Now’s the time to dream again about what could be.

Whether you’re just starting your life’s journey, halfway through or near the end—make a turn toward something better soon or another year will be gone before you know it!

Remember that life is temporary. Eternity is forever. So Jesus asked, “How do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your soul in the process?”

And what good is it to finish “at the top of your game” if you lose your family?

Wherever your relationships are with God and your family, it can be better. Why settle for less than the best? Your life and your relationships are worth whatever it takes to save them.

The message of the Bible is that the outcome of your life is not determined by your income. It is decided by your priorities. Whether you realize it or not, what you spend your life pursuing becomes your god.

God intended for life to be about so much more than money, power, influence, sex, drugs, possessions, fame or anything else on this earth. Even giving your life to a great cause, like saving the planet, will ultimately leave you feeling empty inside.

The secret to a full and meaningful life is not tied to your riches but to your relationship with God. Jesus said, “My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.”

History is strewn with the wreckage of famous people who spent their lives pursuing personal pleasures, fame and “success.” Do you really have to go down that road to prove again that it leads nowhere?

Now’s the time to change for good. Ask God to take the “steering wheel” of your life. To give you a life that is not just good or better--but best. Make Jesus Christ the Lord of your life.

The Bible says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do and he will direct your paths.”

Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!