“New Year. New You.” We’ve all heard this New Year's slogan. We’ve been trained to think that every January 1st, or really the 2nd because no one starts anything on the first since we are still in celebrating/holiday mode, means the start of something new. We have every intention to be better than we were the year before. To accomplish the tasks we didn't do this past year, to save more money, workout consistently, and finally read through the Bible in a year.
Well I’m here to say bllleeeeehhhh to all of that. How about we change the narrative. New Day, New me. New Hour, New Me. New Second, New Me. How about we shift our frame of mind from a worldly one to a heavenly one.
The world is telling us to focus on ourselves. Look within. Love yourself. Find more time for yourself. Sadly, it’s not just the world that has this backwards. Many Christians and even pastors are encouraging this self love and self focused lifestyle.
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Romans 12:2
This is such a powerful scripture to live by. One that gives us the right perspective on how to live as Christians in this dark world.
Be different. Stand out. Our lives should reflect the life of Christ not the way of the world. Others should be able to look at the way we talk, act, and treat others, especially those closest to us, and notice something is different about us. Not by what we say, but by how we act. We are recognized by our fruit, both good and bad (Matthew 7:15-20). We should be single-minded when it comes to living for the Lord. Focused on one thing. Yes, life gets busy. Yes, there are relationships to keep, people to serve, kids to feed, a job to work hard at. But, all those things should come down to one main thing; serving the Lord our God. If we focus our attention on making Him lord of our life, everything we do will fall into place.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”
Matthew 5:6
The world says focus on you but the Bible says love others.
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
Mark 12:30-31
One argument I hear a lot is that we have to love ourselves in order to love others. Recently we heard a pastor say this in a sermon and we were shocked.
We as humans are naturally selfish beings. We are very good at loving ourselves, looking out for our own good, talking about what we are passionate about, and doing what we enjoy above others. This verse is not saying that we need to learn or practice loving ourselves more BEFORE we can love others. No! We already know how to do that so it is a task and takes discipline to love others in the same way that we already love ourselves.
Throughout my volleyball career I alway struggled with my attitude. I would get super discouraged and down if I was playing bad. I think part of it was selfishness and the other part was that I hated losing. Not until college was I able to really break this habit because my coach encouraged me to focus on my teammates. He encouraged me to be the captain of the team, leading them not only with words but mainly with my actions. Once I became a coach, this was something I emphasized a lot to my players. You don’t have time to worry about yourself if you are trying to encourage and help your teammates become better and stay positive. Towards the end of my coaching career it finally clicked. “Love others as yourself.” We are better when we put our attention and energy onto others and serve them and help them. Wow, it’s like this Biblical concept can work in every area of our life. Living a servant-hearted, sacrificial, others focused lifestyle will benefit us more than a life that is all about ourselves.
So how do we do this? I think that question takes us to the next part of Romans 12:2. “...but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…” Renewing your mind is taking the things of your mind that align with the flesh and the way the world thinks and aligning them with the way that God thinks. Paul lays it out for us in the latter verses. Romans 12:3 says to think of ourselves humbly. It’s your thought life that matters. Don’t elevate yourself to a place where only God should be. Verse 9 tells us to love what is good, hate what is evil. This is how we renew our mind so that we can be transformed and more like Christ.
“Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.”
Psalm 1:1-2
So I encourage you. Walk away from things of this world. Change your perspective to a heavenly perspective. Aligning your thought patterns to the things of the Lord. All of this is not possible without the Holy Spirit.
“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 5:15-20
I will close with a quote from Reformed Systematic Theology by Joel R. Beeke and Paul M. Smalley, volume 2 page 1177:
“Living unto the Lord involves the surrender of ourselves in all our conduct to obey his commands and submit to his providence as he does with us as he pleases. Sibbes said, ‘They must be directed by his will, and not their own,’ and ‘his will is in the Scriptures.’ When Satan tempts and corruptions stir, we must say, ‘My body is not mine, it is the Lord’s… everything that helps us to attain it lovely, no matter how hard.’ Sibbes says, ‘Welcome is poverty, or disgrace, or whatsoever that maketh a man live more to Christ, and die to himself.’ We also should be heartbroken over the sad fact that ‘we have let so much precious time, and strength, and dear advantages be lost’ that we could have used to seek Christ and his kingdom.”
May we spend this next year focused on the Lord, pouring through scripture, seeking His will, and making it a point every second of every day to bring Glory to His Name.
Happy New Year my friends.
With Love,
Jess T.
Prayer Requests
God would constantly renew our minds this year
God would grow our church how he desires
We would be a light to the Pacific Northwest
Comments