Happy New Year

December 30, 2015 | By Chuck

It's hard to believe that another year has come and gone. It seems that time is passing more quickly the older I get. At the end of each year I try to objectively gage where I am in my spiritual life. Have I grown this year? If so, what areas do I notice growth or improvement? Just as students receive grades at the end of the course, in a similar way we Christians should grade our spiritual life at the end of each year. Grades may intimidate or even scare us, but if we're honest with ourselves the grades will highlight the strengths and weaknesses in our spiritual lives. After an honest end of the year assessment of our spiritual life, it's then that we're ready to begin thinking about the New Year and how we can use it for growth. One thing we all must be mindful of is that in each of our lives there is always room for growth and improvement. My point is, I never arrive at the end of a year and realize that I've finally achieved that 'spiritual platform" of perfection with no need for growth or improvement. I know that goes without saying but I think it's important that we understand that spiritual growth is a lifelong process. "And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."(II Cor.3:18) We are "being transformed into his likeness", it's a process. I encourage everyone to use the start of this New Year to set some personal spiritual goals for yourself. Remember to set attainable goals. Goals that are too lofty to achieve often discourage and tend to encourage us to give up. These should be simple goals that will help you to draw nearer to God in this New Year. Goals such as spending more time studying the Bible and setting aside time every day to pray. Choosing to always focus on the positive and avoid having a negative attitude. Striving to be more of an encourager this year. What about simply finding a church ministry to become involved in? I hope and pray that 2016 is your best year ever and a year in which you draw closer to God and His church.