Back To The Present

On December 31st, when you look back over the previous year, what would you wish you had changed? This is the question I posed to the church yesterday in my sermon. I like the question because it imposes a practical accountability--we're looking back examining how we lived. And it offers great hope--we haven't lived out the year YET! 

So, if we were able to mentally transport ourselves to the last day of this year and reflect on our Christian lives, what would we see? If there is a sense of frustration, this could be for two reasons: 

1) We were thwarted in our attempts at growth. Warning! Recognize this as reality in the Christian pilgrimage, but don't be "blown away" by it. As long as we are in this "body of flesh" we will fail to comply on some level in our pursuit of God. Know that, accept it, and move on by pursuing God MORE. 

2) We are remiss because we didn't prepare properly. The first reason happens only if you have a plan and have been somewhat successful in fulfilling it. This second reason is the result of a lack in that department. Thus, we become victims of the adage: "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail." We are remiss because we had not moved closer to a living, breathing relationship with Jesus Christ, as we imagine Christians should. But we applied no measures to put ourselves in the path of grace.

OK. So now what do we do? Well, remember, we are not really there . . . at December 31st, I mean. We can say, "Alright, I have a whole year to make up for my lack of planning!" Then, we set about to put in place whatever we need to grow. And we do it with joy and anticipation! That's the greatest advantage of the forward, backward look!

"Hindsight makes wise men of us all." Well, this is potentially true. Hindsight does not necessarily make us wise, like practice does not necessarily make perfect. It makes permanent. Practice right, perform right. The backward look can put things in perspective, the kind that allows us to examine our priorities perhaps with a better degree of objectivity. 

In light of that, let's jump back to the present and joyfully make those changes! Here are some our church folk shared:  

1) Pray--actually DO it, not just talk about doing it; 

2) Read three biographies; 

3) Several mentioned various Bible reading plans; 

4) Another sheepishly said he simply wanted to invite one person to church! We chuckled at this but agreed we all could do this and more. 

5) My wife offered that she was going to isolate Psalm 119, focusing more directly on the implications in this wonderful psalm on God's Word. 

6) My daughter said she would make a practice of praying BEFORE Scripture reading to increase her ability to focus more intently. 

7) Another man said he wanted to witness to one person a week. 

8) I plan to read Calvin's Institutes along with the crew at Reformation 21 online (a sort of self-imposed discipline). 

There are many resources. Let us band together and give ourselves more completely to Christ in 2009. Then, when December 31st rolls around, we will have good reason to be joyous, not sad.