2014 New Year's Resolutions

No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, 

but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing:  

forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,  

I strain to reach the end of the race...   

Philippians 3:13-14

January 4, 2014:  a little late, some would say, for making New Year’s Resolutions, but my attitude is – better late than never!  It is still the beginning of a new year – a time when we often think about what we could / should do differently in our lives.

This year, I am only going to make two (2) resolutions.  Yes – you read that right.  Just two.  Mind you, that does not mean that there are only two things in my life that need changing!  There are actually more than two CATEGORIES of things that need changing.  There is my HEALTH (diet, stress, anxiety levels, etc.), FITNESS (diet (again!), exercise, etc.), ATTITUDES, OUTLOOK, DREAMS, and so forth.  I could go on and on.  But I have found that the more resolutions I write down at the beginning of a new year, the more resolutions I abandon within a month or two of the starting date.

Therefore, my two resolutions are relatively basic, and come from the words of Christ Himself:

1    Resolution #1:  Love the Lord my God with all my heart and with all my soul and with all my mind and with all my strength.   Mark 12:30

I do love God – and I know He knows that.  But somehow these words of Jesus seem to mean much more than our cultural understanding of “love” would indicate.  Jesus said, “Hey – don’t just ‘love’ God (like you ‘love’ your cat, or a good bowl of pasta), but put everything you have into it!”

                Heart                     the seat of my emotions

                Soul                       the seat of my faith

                Mind                     the seat of my intellect

                Strength              the seat of my physical self

Loving God through all of these avenues is so much more than a tacit acknowledgement that I care about Him.  It involves continuity, commitment, compassion and challenge.  It is taking my relationship with God to the next level in 2014.   The old What Would Jesus Do? campaign might have gone “out of style,” but it is never irrelevant for my day-to-day life.

2    Resolution #2:  Love my neighbor as myself.  Mark 12:31

Have you ever noticed that Jesus did not direct us to love our neighbor with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength?  No – instead He asked us to love our neighbors (every human being surrounding us) as much as we love ourselves.  I don’t know about you, but I am very attached to this being called “myself.”   And I (try to) exercise my heart, soul, mind and strength to take care of “me” – someone that I would like to have around for a long time!  So if I am going to love you like I love myself, I will need to be very interested in your welfare as well.

What Would Jesus Do? becomes a relevant question for this resolution as well – although it will take a lot of discipline to have that question come to mind before irritation or unkindness pours out of my mouth.  When I am the recipient of a thoughtless word, an unkind action, a mean cut, or a selfish act (on the road, in the grocery store, or in just about any circumstance imaginable), my first concern is usually for myself with little thought process for the other person.  What if my first thought was concern for the other person?  That would be something new in my life!

I have asked God to assist me in my 2014 New Year’s resolutions, for I’m fairly certain that otherwise they will just fade into the sunset.  I am really looking forward to this New Year, and I am excited to partner with God to love Him more completely, and to show true kindness and compassion for those who cross my pathway. 

The unfailing love of the LORD never ends!

By his mercies we have been kept from complete destruction.

Great is his faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each day.

Lamentations 3:22-24

Advent: The Candle of Peace

I have told you these things, so that in Me you might have peace.

John 16:33

CANDLE OF PEACE

Peace is an elusive commodity in our stress-filled lives and fractured world.  As human beings, we long for a time of peace – in our world, our nation, our community, our family, and our individual selves.  The second candle on the Advent Wreath reminds us that the key element in true, lasting peace is the presence of Christ, and the knowledge that God is in control.

The Apostle John quotes Jesus as saying, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”  John 14:27   When the pressures of life threaten to overwhelm you, look to Jesus for:

PEACE in P rayer

·         Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.  1 Peter 5:7

PEACE in E ffort

·         Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy…  Hebrews 12:14

PEACE in A cceptance

·         God demonstrates His own love for us in this:  While we were still sinners, Christ

died for us.  Romans 5:8

·         Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through

our Lord Jesus Christ.  Romans 5:1

PEACE in C ontentment

·         But godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.  But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.

1 Timothy 6:6-8

·         …I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.  Philippians 4:11b

·         …be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.  Hebrews 13:5

PEACE in E xpectation

·                                  Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Trust in God; trust also in Me.  In my Father’s house  are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you.  I am going there to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.  John 14:1-3

When peace like a river attendeth my way,

When sorrows like sea-billows roll;

Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,

“It is well, it is well with my soul.”

Advent: The Candle of Hope

And now remain these three:  faith, HOPE, love…

1 Corinthians 13:13

Advent wreaths have their origins in the folk traditions of northern Europe, where in the deep of winter people lit candles on wheel-shaped bundles of evergreen. Both the evergreen and the circular shape symbolized ongoing life. The candlelight gave comfort at this darkest time of the year, as people looked forward to the longer days of spring.

Later, Eastern European Christians adopted this practice. By the sixteenth century, they were making Advent wreaths much as we know them today. An advent wreath traditionally contains four candles-three purple and one rose. The three purple candles in the Advent wreath symbolize hope, peace, and love. These candles are lit on the first, second, and fourth Sundays of Advent. The rose candle, which symbolizes joy, is usually lit on the third Sunday.  A fifth candle of white is placed inside the Advent wreath. This candle is lit on Christmas Eve and symbolizes the birth of Jesus Christ.

CANDLE OF HOPE

Isaiah says, "The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; in him the Gentiles will hope.  May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”   Romans 15:12-13 

The Apostle Paul states that Hope is… “an anchor to the soul.”  Faith and Hope lie embedded deep within us, securing us through the storms of life.  When you feel helpless (and hopeless) inside, putting your trust in the Jesus of Christmas will give you these four things: 

HOPE for H elp

·         Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.   Hebrews 4:16

HOPE for O pportunity

·         “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  Jeremiah 29:11

HOPE for P ower

·         …He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.  1 John 4:4

·         My grace is sufficient for you: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.  2 Cor. 12:9

HOPE for E ternity

·         For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  John 3:16 

We have this hope that burns within our hearts:

Hope in the coming of the Lord.

We have this faith that Christ alone imparts:

Faith in the promise of His Word.