Happy New Year!
"As the year comes to a close and we prepare to begin a new year, we know that our family will get busy doing lots of things – many good things. The new beginning that comes with a new year allows us to step back and consider if all the things that we are busy with help us move forward toward what is most important. We want to ask, are the things we’re doing helping us or hindering us from making progress in the one thing that is most important – the one thing that will matter for eternity?
Paul was determined to make sure that everything he was doing helped him in accomplishing the one thing that was most important. “I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me,” he said. “I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us” (Philippians 3:12-14). As Paul looked toward the future, he was determined to “press on.” He wanted to continue to make progress in the life of faith – to love and trust God more tomorrow than he did yesterday. He wanted to live his life now in light of eternity. He didn’t want to become distracted by anything that would steal his attention from what will matter for eternity.
What would it look like to “press on” toward knowing and enjoying Christ as you and your family enter another year? The kind of straining forward Paul wrote about means implementing the self-discipline and self-denial of a serious athlete. It means making plans and setting goals for ourselves in the areas of worship, studying God’s Word, developing our prayer lives, and sharing Christ, so that by next year at this time we will be closer to Jesus.
Today is a good day to look back, look forward, and look inward. We want to see ourselves and our lives as Christ sees us and be willing to face hard truths about ourselves. But more important than looking inward is looking upward to Christ. Looking to Christ gives us a goal to pursue, a person to enjoy, a passion to feed. Looking to Christ orients the direction of the coming year – and of our entire lives."[1]
Paul was determined to make sure that everything he was doing helped him in accomplishing the one thing that was most important. “I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me,” he said. “I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us” (Philippians 3:12-14). As Paul looked toward the future, he was determined to “press on.” He wanted to continue to make progress in the life of faith – to love and trust God more tomorrow than he did yesterday. He wanted to live his life now in light of eternity. He didn’t want to become distracted by anything that would steal his attention from what will matter for eternity.
What would it look like to “press on” toward knowing and enjoying Christ as you and your family enter another year? The kind of straining forward Paul wrote about means implementing the self-discipline and self-denial of a serious athlete. It means making plans and setting goals for ourselves in the areas of worship, studying God’s Word, developing our prayer lives, and sharing Christ, so that by next year at this time we will be closer to Jesus.
Today is a good day to look back, look forward, and look inward. We want to see ourselves and our lives as Christ sees us and be willing to face hard truths about ourselves. But more important than looking inward is looking upward to Christ. Looking to Christ gives us a goal to pursue, a person to enjoy, a passion to feed. Looking to Christ orients the direction of the coming year – and of our entire lives."[1]
-- Nancy Guthrie
[1] Guthrie,
Nancy. Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room: Daily Family Devotions for Advent .
Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
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