Resolutions
New Year is a good time for all of us, children and adults, to take stock of matters in our lives. To that end many of us will be making New Year’s resolutions: perhaps about better health practices, personal relationships, and a few of us might be resolving to improve our spiritual practices for so often we feel that we are merely stumbling towards godliness.
There seems to be something counter-productive built into resolutions, preventing us from making them altogether, or making us very dismissive about them. Ironically, it is our sense of failure that often stops us from moving forward; we so quickly judge ourselves as unworthy. An old Jewish proverb says, “He that lies on the ground cannot fall.” We conclude it is better not to attempt standing up. Furthermore, we are quite sure that God, who is truly holy and truly perfect, must be even more disappointed in us when we fail than we are in ourselves. Since most people fail to keep their resolutions, they are therefore considered doubly worthless.
God’s Word tell us in Romans 2:4 that the “goodness of the lord is meant to lead us to repentance.” God likes it when we turn from our sin and self and turn towards Him. If we remember to make our resolutions prayerfully and pursue them through the power of God’s Spirit, they will not be an exercise in futility. Sometimes we say that God is the God of the second chance, but Jesus himself said (Matthew 18) that he is the God of seventy-seven chances (some translations say seventy times seven).
Imagine Mom that you are cleaning your daughter’s room and happen to find her list of resolutions under the bed. At the top of the list is “daily quiet time with God.” (If you don’t have a child, you can remember being one yourself, right?) So do you think the mother’s first reaction will be disappointment because she knows her daughter has not managed to succeed every day? Or will she be pleased that her child has recognized the importance of growing in the Lord and wants to do better? How much more will your heavenly Father be pleased even with your feeble struggles? (Matthew 7:11)
I believe our heavenly Father takes joy in each step his children take to do right, just as first time parents are ecstatic with every faltering step their son or daughter takes. God knows we will falter and even fall, but it blesses him to see us striving to do that which is right and asking for his Spirit to help us. Let the goodness of the Lord smile on you this year. Stay steadfast in the resolutions you make to live more fully for Him. Have a blessed 2010!
— Pastor John
Welcome to Our Website
Our motto at Bethel Church is, “Where Love is Lived,” and we have been focusing on Building a Better Community Together.
As you browse through our site, you will see the many ways we seek to share our faith and love with one another, and also reach out into our community and the world around us. If you are a member here at Bethel, I hope you will make good use of our website to keep informed of the many events and activities we have. If you missed a service, you can listen to the latest sermons wherever you are by clicking on the Sermons link.
If you are not a member of Bethel Church, please browse through our website to learn more about us, and, if you have the opportunity, we hope you will visit us or join us in worship. Also, please feel free to listen to the messages posted weekly on the Sermons page. If you would like, I encourage you to contact me using the Email link below.
