If you were going off to college you would surely make preparations for the new journey you were about to embark on. If you were starting a new job, you would surely make preparations for the new position, making sure that you did everything to put yourself in a position to succeed. If you are entering into a new relationship, you do everything you can to make sure that you make the other person happy and are setting yourself up to be happy. In every area of life, we prepare ourselves to make sure that we are putting ourselves in the best position to succeed.

At midnight we will enter into not only a new year but also a new decade. I believe it’s time to ask yourself a few questions. The first question is, how were the past ten years for you? Secondly, what can you do differently to make sure that the next ten years are better? And finally, where should you start?

The answer to that question is very straight forward. The Word of God says,

“ for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13)

If God is the one that works in us to will (have the desire for something better) and to do (to actually make it happen), then the starting point is obedience to Him.

Yes, that is the first step to making sure that you have a blessed year and decade. You need to fix things with God. I advise you to fulfill any unfulfilled vows that you’ve made, commit to being faithful to Him in things such as tithing and coming to church faithfully. Get more involved in activities that involve God and His will, such as evangelization and outreach work. Stay active and show commitment from day one of this new year.

If you do these things, you will be setting yourself up for a BLESSED year and decade. For those who live by this kind of faith, it will be a DECADE OF STRENGTH.

May the God of the Bible bless you

Bishop Bira Fonseca