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A Renewed Purpose and Power
 It is always challenging to approach a new year and to realize anew that our days upon this earth are so rapidly passing. The beginning of the new year is usually a time for reflecting on and evaluating the past as well as for setting serious goals for the future. How important it is that we pause and pray for a 'heart of wisdom' that will enable us in 2011 to live each new day in a way that pleases God. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.
To know Christ should be our ultimate goal. Consider your values. Do you place anything above your relationship with Christ? If your priorities are wrong, how will you reorder them? No amount of law keeping, self-improvement, discipline, or religious effort can make us right with God. Righteousness comes only from God. We are made righteous (receive right standing with God) by trusting in Christ. He exchanges our sin and shortcomings for his complete righteousness. Reflect on this statement: God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:21)
When we trust in Christ, we make an exchange-our sin for his righteousness. Our sin was poured into Christ at his crucifixion. His righteousness is poured into us at our conversion. This is what Christians mean by Christ's atonement for sin. In the world, bartering works only when two people exchange goods of relatively equal value. But God offers to trade his righteousness for our sin-something of immeasurable worth for something completely worthless. How grateful we should be for his kindness to us.
There are three essentials for a joyful life: A faith to live by, a self to live with, and a purpose to live for. For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. (Philippians 1:21) To those who don't believe in God, life on earth is all there is, and so it is natural for them to strive for this world's values - money, popularity, power, pleasure, and prestige. For me, however, to live means to develop eternal values and to tell others about Christ, who alone could help them see life from an eternal perspective. My whole purpose in life is to speak out boldly for Christ and to become more like Christ. I can confidently say that dying would be even better than living, because in death I will be removed from worldly troubles, and I will see Christ face to face (1John 3:2,3).
This is the time to make certain of your eternal destiny; then you will be free to live with yourself - devoting your life to what really counts, without fear of death. We need a purpose for living that goes beyond providing for our own physical needs. Make your purpose for living "according to the eternal purpose which God purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Ephesians 3:11) Sing along this hymn by Will L. Thompson, (1847-1909) -
Jesus is all the world to me, my life, my joy, my all;
He is my strength from day to day, without Him I would fall.
When I am sad, to Him I go, no other one can cheer me so;
When I am sad, He makes me glad, He's my Friend. |
