A brand-new year is here and I’m excited to see what the Lord has for us. Keeping Christ at the center of our thoughts takes a great deal of discipline and determination, but so does everything else we really care about. It comes down to how serious we are about knowing God and how willing we are to give him total control of our lives. Whatever we become involved with, He simply wants us to listen and obey His instructions, which is why we are here. If we abide under the shadow of his wings, we will walk in the peace and joy of his Spirit but if we choose to live our own way, we will remain frustrated, miserable, and disappointed.
Matthew chapter 22 gives us the meaning and purpose of life, “Jesus said unto him, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.” Actually, the Bible contains many passages where God declares how much he loves us and wants to save us but most of the time we’re so busy making our own decisions we rarely consider how the distractions are preventing us from serving him. In the book of Revelation, chapter two, He’s disappointed with why the Ephesians had left their “first love” and today is a perfect time for us to examine our hearts and consider our decisions. The incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection reveal God’s passion to have a constant and personal relationship with us.
At this time of year, we are focused on our resolutions as it’s the perfect occasion to start developing spiritual lifestyle changes. You notice I used the word “developing” because drawing closer to God is a consistent process of patience and faith much like losing weight, exercising or any other vision where we are working toward a goal. For example, eating a salad today is not going to automatically solve our weight problem but it’s a positive first step and the same is true with learning how to become a follower of Christ. There have been many adaptations from the original Al-anon credo that warns everyone to be realistic about trying to change everything all at once because personal transformation is a lifestyle decision that will require serious concentration and perseverance.
