Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:
So have you made up your mind?
Are you going to set a New Year’s resolution?
Have you spent time sitting and pondering?
Excellent ideas can come to people as they sit, think, and dream – what kind of house to buy or build, what kind of car, where to go for vacation, what improvements to make on our house, what improvements to make to our careers, what improvements to make to our lives, to our church – but these remain idle daydreams unless they are acted upon.
We need to think, to meditate, to plan, to learn, to listen in order to raise our sights and deeds above the routines of daily living.
Often when we stop long enough to reflect, we realize much that we have insisted on or pursued has been our own selfish desires or will. However, when our goal is for the good of others, great and wonderful things occur.
The book of James encourages action:
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22)
Jesus, too, spoke often of doing the will of God:
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father Who is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).
Jesus performed many deeds of love as He went about doing good, healing, and teaching. What is more, He fulfilled the Father’s will by offering Himself on the cross for the salvation of all.
May we continue to model our lives after Jesus, who not only spoke the words of life but did the works of life.
Believe, and be busy. Get to work!
Happy New Year!
Pastor Hartwig