Ah, New Year’s Day. Talk about a day that is rife with pretty much every emotion out there! The new year can bring on a renewed hope, a clean slate, if you will, that gives us an encouraging sense of possibility. What great things might I accomplish this year? What new, healthy habits might I establish? What relationships might be healed? Maybe 2019 is the year that [THIS] happens!
Or do you enter 2019 with troubles that you know will follow you into it? Are there illnesses, heartaches, brokenness that weren’t fixed by the striking of the clock at midnight?
It can also be a time of reflecting on the year we just finished out. Was it full of happiness? Sorrow? Mixed bag? Regrets? Fulfilled dreams? Shattered dreams?
Most likely it was a collection of good times and bad because that’s just the way this life plays out so often. It’s just a matter of degree – how do your blessings and your challenges weigh out? We are not promised smooth sailing, that’s for sure!
What about New Year’s Resolutions? Love ‘em or hate ‘em, it seems we can’t completely avoid them. Back in my younger days, I would make detailed resolutions in specific categories of my life. Things like spiritual, career, health, relationships, home, etc. etc. They were meticulously constructed and fairly closely monitored for a period of time. There was some value in that, but over the years, the importance faded, and I haven’t made specific resolutions for years!
So, let’s switch from the more mechanical nature of resolution-making to a more spiritual approach. In what areas of my life does God want to work? Where do I acknowledge that His sanctifying work is necessary? And maybe more importantly, how willing are we to let Him do that work in our lives?
Boy, I know that could become a pretty long list in my life! But, thanks to God’s grace and Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, it’s not about a list of wrongs that need to be fixed. As believers, God has already placed Jesus’ righteousness on us, taking on the punishment for our sins once and for all. So, we don’t need to ever live with the shame of our past, or our feelings of inadequacy for the future.
Simply put, sanctification is the daily process of growing into the very image of Christ through the work of God’s Holy Spirit in our lives. It doesn’t happen overnight, and it will never be completed until either Jesus returns or He takes us home.
But until then, we can ask God to open our eyes to the areas that most need His sanctifying touch. If you are following this website, maybe one of those areas is to gain a greater understanding of how you can serve the world through acts of compassion.
So, here’s the first READERS’ POLL! There are TWO ways you can participate:
- What would you most want to ask or understand about the grieving process, or how you can best serve someone who’s hurting? I want to shed some light on the things you most need help with. It could even be a specific situation you’re struggling with. If I don’t have the experience, I likely know someone who does.
- If you’re someone who has suffered a deep loss, what words of advice would you like to pass along to help someone be a blessing to you?
How do you send your questions? Lots of options! You may leave it in the comment section of this post. Or for more privacy, feel free to send a message through this site – it comes directly to me. Or text or call me if you have the number.
My desire is to address the areas most on your heart as we enter this new year together. I want to be the vessel that God uses to help you grow in this important area of your life.
If it’s something that can be answered generally for the good of the readership, I’ll address it in a future blog post. If you want my private input, I’m happy to provide that as well.
Thank you for trusting me with this and I look forward to shedding some light in an area that often stays behind a closed door.
For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
(Hebrews 10:14)