New Year’s Resolutions
Have you made yours yet? I’m sure the standards apply: lose more weight, read more books, go skydiving. What about spiritual goals? Read through the Bible in one year, join a Christian community group, read daily devotions…every day this year!
New Year’s resolutions are great, but they almost always have one thing in common: doing more. The last thing we need in our lives is to do more. Is it any wonder that we give up on the majority of these life additions by the end of the month?
What does it look like in 2014 if instead of doing more, we just be? Be who God has called us to be. Spend less time doing what we think are the right things and more time considering the bigger picture of God’s plan for the world and our role in that plan.
The idea of being the people of God seems a little underwhelming to many. Uninspiring, lazy, complacent are all criticisms of living life as a Christian, but I couldn’t disagree more. A better description would be challenging, empowering and eternally rewarding. Once you see God at work in the world you see the world differently. This changed perspective challenges you to make decisions that go against culture and even the human nature. It isn’t always easy, but it always makes a difference and fulfills your soul.
Will you join me in 2014 to hear God’s calling to be who He has made us to be? In Colossians the motivation for changing behavior (in this instance, lying) is not to stop a sin or make a resolution but to be who God has made us “renewed in the image of the Creator” Colossians 3:9. If that New Year’s resolution is rooted in yourself, it will fail when other things become more important than you. If it is rooted in Him, it will prevail by His power at work through you. May God richly bless each of us and give us courage to be exactly who He desires us to be, for His sake.
His servant and yours,
Pastor Erik Gauss
RevGauss 