Happy New Year!!!! January 1, 2013

Pressing toward the Goal

12 I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. 13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 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

Happy New Year everyone!  I am so looking forward to a whole new year of living in Jesus Christ!  When January rolls around every year, we all make plans and resolutions.  Most of us have a few pounds we want to lose or things we would like to accomplish.

But what about our spiritual lives?  Are we going to work out spiritually, or are we just going to allow life to happen to us?   If we are open to Him He will lead us where He wants us to be in Him.  I believe that He has a whole new future in store for each and every one of us if we only come to Him with a heart of gratitude and thanksgiving for all He has done for us and ask Him to do more through us in the future.

Don’t get “comfortable” as a Christian.  Paul tells us that we will never reach perfection while we are here on earth.  That we all have a long way to go in this race.  I can remember an old saying that I have never forgotten.  When you are green you grow and when you are ripe you rot.  As a Christian I never want to get ripe.  I want to never be satisfied with the way things are.  I want to continue to grow in Christ Jesus.  To put my focus on Him and tune out all of the distractions of the world, so that the Holy Spirit has the room to work within me.

I like what Paul said in verse 13.  That we cannot look back at the past but we need to press on to the future.  Don’t allow the hurts of your past to injure you in your race as a Christian.  Let the bitterness, hurts and grudges go.  They are like running in a marathon with weights on your ankles.  As a Christian fellowship is so important.  Runners do better in packs; they encourage one another, to run faster and finish the race.

And we as Christians do better when we move forward together.  We need each other to finish this race.  In verse 14 Paul tells us to press on to reach the end of the race and the heavenly prize.  Can you just imagine the kind of Christian you would become in one year if you spent as much time in the Word and exercising your spiritual life as you did your other interests? 

So in this New Year walk boldly in your faith and allow the Lord to do something wonderful in you and through you.  I think you will be pleasantly surprised how Simply Heavenly your life will become when Jesus is large and in charge of your life. God bless you!

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