Some Good Advice for the New Year
1 Jan 2008
In Philippians 3:12-16, the Apostle Paul proffers some good advice for the New Year. First, he instructs us to GO ON(“forgetting those things which are behind”).
In 2008, we shouldn’t live in our past memories. Living in the past only serves to rob us of our present and to ruin our future.
Also, we should not attempt to live another year with our past mistakes. Too many people in our world today have fallen in the past and can’t get up. They’re haunted by their past. In this New Year exorcise the ghosts from your past. If God has forgiven your sins and forgotten them, what right do you have to bludgeon yourself with them?
In addition to refusing to live any longer in our memories and with our past mistakes, we must also refuse to live on our past merits. Past performance never justifies present action. Many laggards and lowlifes attempt to justify their present lives on the basis of past laurels. However, what matters today is not what you’ve done, but what you’re doing; not how you’ve lived, but how you’re living.
In order for us to go on with our lives in 2008, we must also adhere to the apostle’s additional admonition to “reach forth unto those things which are before”us. While there is nothing wrong with learning from the past and planning for the future, we must live in the present. As someone has astutely observed: “Yesterday is but a memory and tomorrow but a dream; today is all we’re promised.”
Another thing Paul admonishes us to do is to GIVE OUR ALL(“press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus”).Paul paints a picture in verse 14 of a runner running a race zeroed in on the finish line and putting every fiber of his being into crossing it victoriously. Nothing apart from our very best is worthy of God. Anything less is both insulting to God and an ignominy to us.
A final piece of sterling advice that may be gleaned from this scripture is the importance of us GROWING UP. In order to be mature believers and grownup children of God in 2008 we need to do three things.
For starters, we need to live up to our present spiritual potential (vs. 15-16). We need to do all that we know to do, as well as all that we are capable of doing. Remember, commemorated service of Christ is performed by and the commendation of Christ is reserved for those who do what they can (Mark 14:8-9).
Next, we need to be perpetually dissatisfied with our spiritual progress (12-13a). It is often said that “Satisfaction is the graveyard of progress.” When we’re through learning and growing we’re through. Mature Christians, like the Apostle Paul, realize that they will never arrive spiritually in this life. No matter how far we’ve come there is still farther for us to go. No matter what we know there is still much more for us to learn.
Finally, and most importantly, to grow up in 2008 we need a single spiritual purpose. Notice, Paul said, “But this one thing I do.” The “one thing” of which Paul spoke was his sole focus in life; namely, his conformity to Christ through his communion with Christ (see verses 7-11).
Our single focus in 2008 ought to be our imitation of Christ through our intimacy with Christ. In other words, we should live everyday of the New Year wanting to become more Christ-like by getting to know Christ better than we did the day before. Contrary to popular opinion, the mature pulpit is not filled with a man wanting a bigger church; nor is the mature pew filled with people wanting a better life. Instead, both the mature pulpit and pew are filled with those seeking conformity to Christ through intimacy with Him.
"But how about all of those other important things in life," you protest. Well, according to Jesus, they'll take care of themselves if we'll only “seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). If we'll GO ON, GIVE OUR ALL, and GROW UP in 2008, God will take care of everything else. Happy New Year!
Don Walton
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