January 16th, 2010
Have you made a New Year’s Resolution? Every year at this time there’s lots of buzz about making resolutions for the New Year. Losing weight, saving money, being a better parent, living a healthier lifestyle – similar resolutions made every year – some easy to keep but most abandoned by the end of the month.
Most resolutions focus on improving self – making oneself a better person, a more attractive person, a wealthier person. All of those have positive merit but what about seeking to strive to be obedient to God, becoming a stronger aromatic purveyor of the fragrance of Christ, a child of God exercising the gifts of the Spirit that bless others?
Would a more valuable resolution be one that focuses strengthening one’s spiritual self instead of refashioning one’s physical self?
Moses spoke to the Israelites (Deuteronomy 30:11-20) before he died of what their focus should be and the priceless value of strengthening that focus:
“For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach.
“It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will go up to heaven for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?’
“Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will cross the sea for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?’
“But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it.
“See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and adversity;
in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, that you may live and multiply, and that the LORD your God may bless you in the land where you are entering to possess it.
“But if your heart turns away and you will not obey, but are drawn away and worship other gods and serve them,
I declare to you today that you shall surely perish. You will not prolong your days in the land where you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess it.
” I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants,
by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”
(New American Standard Bible)
Jesus (John 14:15, 21) speaks very succinctly and personally to us about this same subject:
If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
“He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.”
(New American Standard Bible)
Resolve to strengthen your spiritual self. Choose life.
