A Call to Holy Living

1 Peter 1:13 (NLT) ¹³ So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world.

Jan stirred her coffee thoughtfully with a look of disappointment on her face. Nancy looked across the table as she took a bite of the pumpkin bread and asked “what’s wrong?"

Jan said, “I am so discouraged. It has been only one week and I have already blown most of my New Year resolutions.  I am so frustrated.  I really wanted to stick to my new diet this time!”.  

Nancy laughed out loud and Jan stared at her with wonder. “I’m sorry to laugh, it’s not at you, I promise”,  Nancy said apologetically, “It’s just that I have struggled with New Year resolutions my whole life and last year I decided not to make them anymore.”   

Jan looked at her a little stunned and said, “So you don’t think you need to change anything about yourself?"   

Nancy laughed even harder this time and said, “Are you kidding?!  The list is long and overwhelming to me and why I decided to take a different approach. Instead of making a long list of resolutions at the beginning of the year, I pick one new thing to work on every two to three months throughout the year. That way I can put all of my focus and energy into one thing at a time.” 

“Did that work?” Jan asked

Nancy took a deep breath. “Well, at first it was extremely difficult.  I made my list and started to put the easy things at the top, but then I realized that I was really just putting off changing the things that were most important and would be most beneficial to me and my family. So I picked the most difficult thing first and that was to quit smoking. In the beginning I had a lot of stops and starts and there were moments when I really just wanted to give up, but I didn’t. It has been nine months since I last smoked. Once I learned that I could overcome the most difficult thing, I didn’t feel so overwhelming to change the other things in my life. As a matter of fact, I am more confident now then ever that I can change other things, one at a time.  Does that make sense?”

“Yes, it does! Congratulations!  I have my list here with me, can you help me get started?” Jan asked

“Sure” Nancy said smiling.  “But before we start, there’s one more thing. Making changes in your life takes more than a commitment to yourself. We break commitment’s to ourselves all the time and that’s bad enough, but I don’t want to disappoint others who count on me. I also made the commitment to God and my family, not just to hold me accountable, but to encourage me and support me through the journey. That has made a huge difference in my success. We don’t walk this path alone”

“I’m ready!” Jan said and with a smile on her face pushing the donut across the table out of reach.

It is the time of year when many people make resolutions to change. God’s call to holy living, is a call to healthy living.  He needs us to be healthy and strong mentally, physically and emotionally to do his work. When we allow unhealthy habits to take over our lives it drains us of our strength and God given talents and ultimately robs others from the blessings that God has entrusted us to deliver.

Matthew 26:41 (NLT) “Keep watch and pray so that you will not give into temptation. For the spirit is willing, but he body is weak” 

Change does not come easy and there will be moments when we lapse back into old habits. Satan is always tempting us, but through prayer and God’s grace we will be successful. We may fall one hundred times, but He will stand us up again each time and empower us to endure the journey.      

When we change ourselves to live healthy with self-control, God will work wonders and through our transformation our lives will overflow with his abundance. 

"I made a commitment to completely cut out drinking and anything that might hamper me from getting my mind and body together. And the floodgates of goodness have opened upon me - spiritually and financially."  Denzel Washington

“He who controls others may be powerful, but he who has mastered himself is mightier still.”
― Lao Tzu

"You must admit you have self-control before you can use it.” Carrie Latet

By Design

1 Corinthians 1 ¹⁰ I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.

We are created to be unique and different by design.  Gods design; Gods plan; For Gods work.

God gave us each unique talents and abilities so that we may work together for the good of all.  My strength is your weakness.  My weakness is your strength.  My time is your time.  Your time is my time. We need each other to navigate through life.  

Together we are so much stronger than if we stand alone. God created us to need each other and to work together in harmony for his purpose.

Yet, we spend a lot of time trying to complete tasks and deal with issues by ourselves. When we recognize that we need help, we are often hesitant to ask, because of pride, or because we don’t want to be a burden.  Most people I know stand ready and willing to help and do not consider it a burden at all.  

During a recent visit to our local Target store, I observed a young women in line at the adjacent checkout counter struggling with trying to put her items from her cart up on the counter, while she managed her two young children crying and wiggling to get free. The woman standing in line behind her stepped up and said “let me help you with that” and proceeded to put the items on the counter for her while she calmed her precious babies. This may seem like a minor event, not worthy of consideration, but I think it is a perfect example of how two working together made that moment in life that much easier for that young woman and her children.

Life is made up of moments like this.  Small acts cascade and can create great results.

When two or more of us work together we can accomplish so much more and God is with us every step of the way.  This is no coincidence.  It is by God’s perfect plan by design. 

Matthew 18:19-20 (NLT) ¹⁹ “I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. ²⁰ For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.”

“Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much”  Helen Keller

“Coming together is the beginning; keeping together is progress; staying together is success” Henry Ford

A Child Was Born

Luke 2:8-20 (NKJV)   

⁸ Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And behold,^[a] an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. ¹⁰ Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. ¹¹ For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹² And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” ¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”^[b]

¹⁵ So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶ And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. ¹⁷ Now when they had seen Him, they made widely^[c] known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. ¹⁸ And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. ¹⁹ But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

When God sent the angels to deliver the message of our Savior’s birth, he did not have the message delivered to the King, a scholar or other high authority in the land.  He had the message delivered to the faithful lowly shepherds tending their sheep in the field.  

When God chose Mary to give birth to his only son and for she and Joseph to be his earthly parents and raise him, he did not select the wealthiest most famous people in the land.  

God selects average, everyday, humble, hard-working, faithful people like you and me to do his work.  He relies on each of us as good shepherds to deliver his messages and stand ready for any task, large or small.  Fame and fortune are meaningless in heaven; humility and faith are priceless.  

You are chosen by Him to spread the good word of our Saviors birth.  Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.  

May God pour out his rich blessings on you today and everyday throughout the new year. 

Merry Christmas!