A new year always brings joy to my heart as I look at it as a time to refresh, a time to throw off my old self and a time to start a new beginning.
As I think about the mistakes I’ve made in life’s journey, I find myself wishing that our heavenly father would have given us a stack of “do-over” cards when we were born on this earth. We could use them to change things we regretted ever doing. Unfortunately, we probably would have used them up in our first few Monopoly games trying to be the winner.
Our heavenly father has, in essence, given us “do-over” cards. As we have sinned and made mistakes and made choices that we regret, we can, through humble prayer, ask God for forgiveness and receive it through the atonement of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ.
As we look back at our lives, there are many times we say to ourselves, “If only I would have done this,” or, “If only I would have done that.” We cannot go back in time and change the past. But we can start afresh today. We can think it forward and look at where we want to be in the future and set a new course to achieve that. Remember to include what God wants, too. Matthew 5:48 says: “Be ye therefore perfect even as your father in heaven is perfect.” Ask God to help you to be the best person you can be. We all could be more loving and charitable.
Think what a wonderful world we would live in if everyone followed the two great commandments as stated in Matthew 22:37- 39: “Jesus said unto him, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”
Ask the heavenly father with all of your heart, might, mind and strength to help you have a desire to be a better person. As you strive to keep his commandments and do his will, you will be blessed. He loves you; he knows your name. He knows your trials and tribulations. Change your course, raise the bar in your life and step forward with God’s help to accomplish great things.
*** Scott Bartlett *** is assistant director of public affairs for the Sioux Falls Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
