I’VE GOT IT! The Last New Year’s Resolution you will ever need. Like it says in Isaiah 43:18—“FORGET the former things! Do not dwell on the past.” Yeah verily let old broken resolutions Be forgotten & never brought to mind in 2016 because we are fixin’ to replace and supplant them with this Most Excellent Resolution EVER:
RESOLVE TO SERVE.
So Faithful Followers of MissionAccess let’s tackle The Word together, shall we?
Our passage is found in Matt 6:25-34 NASU The Cure for Anxiety but I’m skipping to verse 31: “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ 32 “For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Hmmm—kinda strange choice of verses Linda! The word “goal” isn’t even in there! But the Key Verse 33 says it all. Because my humble observation is that My New Year’s Resolutions—no matter how good or noble or right—are ultimately doomed to fail. Why? Simply because they are MINE—NOT HIS!
This week I came across a fascinating book entitled:
SERVE: Others First In A Me-First World by Courtney Rees.
Rees cuts right to the chase with this quote from Debbie Bube (who heads up Volunteer Recruitment & Placement at Courtney’s church) who shares that “The primary purpose of serving is NOT to fill all of our roles so that church can function, BUT IT IS SO PEOPLE CAN FIND THEIR PURPOSE”! (i)
So if you are not currently Serving—someone somewhere somehow in a meaningful way: 2016 is Your year to S-T-A-R-T!
But if you are Serving—REFLECT on whether you are truly helping people discover their God-given purpose. If not perhaps 2016 is your year to Renew, Refocus or Redirect to propel your efforts however small in significant ways For His Glory.
As you Resolve To Serve in 2016 and beyond, take heart.
SEEK HIM FIRST & ALL THESE THINGS WILL BE ADDED TO YOU!
In His Accessible Grace,
Linda
(i) Courtney Rees, Serve: Others First In a Me-First World (Bloomington, IN: WestBow Press, 2013), Kindle edition: Location 81.
