Joy Indestructible
I have a love / hate relationship with the beginning of a new year. My heart beats a little bit faster as I anticipate the freshness of a new year. The possibilities seem endless, and a long list of “This year I will _____” have flooded my journal the past few days as I’ve reflected on the things I’d like to accomplish in 2016.
While I do love dreaming about what the future could hold, I also make it a practice of reflecting back upon the last year. Failure quickly overwhelms me as I think about all the things I didn’t succeed at in the year.
Our natural tendency is to base success and failure on what we do or don’t do.
Oh how quickly can we become puffed up with pride in our accomplishments and successes, or wallow in pity when we’ve failed. Christian, you identity is in the Lord; in what He’s accomplished. He lived the perfect life, bore your sin upon the cross, died the death you deserve and was raised to life to atone for your sin. Because of this, if you are a Christian, the obsession for success and worldly accomplishments can fade away. You are called to be faithful to the Lord. Sometimes the Lord doesn’t allow us to see the fruit of remaining obedient and faithful to Him, so it can easily feel like we’ve failed. But the fact remains, we are called to…
Love others
Point others to Christ
Make disciples
Follow Him wherever He might lead
Be obedient
Remain faithful
Examining our heart and our relationship with the Lord is the most important thing we can do at the start of a new year. Yes, I’ve made some “personal development” goals. Whether or not I succeed or fail at them ultimately doesn’t matter, because my security and identity is in the Lord.
It would greatly benefit the soul of the Christian to spend time alone with the Lord, meditating upon the following questions, asking Him to reveal sin in your life, asking Him to teach you to love others with His love, and ultimately resting in His unsearchable grace. Dear One, may we grow in our satisfaction and love of the Lord more in 2016 than ever before?
Questions to Help You Love God and Others Well in 2016:
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What’s one thing you could do this year to increase your enjoyment of God?
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In which spiritual discipline do you most want to make progress this year, and what will you do about it?
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Who do you need to forgive?
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What is the most helpful new way you could strengthen your church?
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How will your life impact another’s?
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For whose salvation will you pray most fervently this year?
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What’s the most important way you will, by God’s grace, try to make this year different from last year?
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What one thing could you do to improve your prayer life this year?
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What single thing that you plan to do this year will matter most in 10 years? In eternity?
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