In a few more weeks, Lord willing, calendars will move from 2023 to 2024. Another year has come and gone. Its days have hurried by. For many, the days of 2023 seem like they just started; for others, they are ready for a new year to begin.
A new year brings a time to live better. As some say before, “you cannot go back and start a new beginning, but you can start today and create a new ending.” Through the blessings of God, each one of us can begin a new year with a clean slate.
How will you begin 2024?
Will you read your Bible all the way through? It is the word of God that is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. (Psalms 119.105)
Will you practice a pure religion? James says a pure religion is to visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction. (James 1:27)
Will you attend services to build one another up? The Hebrews writer encourages us to stir one another up to love and good works by being together. (Hebrews 10.24-25)
Will you let your light shine brighter in 2024? The world, in all its chaos, will try to do better at the beginning of next year. Many people make those resolutions, and we can be a shining light in the world. (Matthew 5.14-16; Philippians 2.14-15)
I love that God sees fit, despite our craziness, to give us days upon this earth. They are times spent with family, friends, working and doing whatever else our hands find to do. Looking back on our lives, I am sure that each of us will agree that we have been blessed.
How will you bless others with the blessings that God has given you this upcoming year?
By the time you read this, the first few days of December have already passed by and the others are coming quickly. I am never sure if it is just the time of the year with all the holidays or the face that I am getting a little older, but the time seems to move more quickly at the end of each year. This quick passage of time reminds me of the inspired words of James, “For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” (James 4.14, ESV)
God must have a place in our time on earth. Without God, there would be no time. Be sure your life is not so busy making a living that you forget to live for eternity. The parable of the Rich Fool is a great reminder of how we use our time. The rich fool, amid gathering possessions, made no place for God.
One night, the rich man’s soul was required of him by the Creator of time. (Luke 12.16-23)
Are you making time for God?
Christians must remember that time is a gift. Realizing that God has given each person a gift of time can make or break the way they handle their time. For instance, remember each day is filled with 24 hours, or 1,440 minutes, or even 86,400 seconds. Do we handle our time well in His sight? Remember Ephesians 5.15-16.
Christians must remember our time in the place they are is for a greater purpose. I am a firm believer that wherever you are in life, at whatever time, you are there for a reason. Your time in this life is something of noble purpose. For instance, notice the verses below,
“Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not think to yourself that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4.13-14, ESV)
Mordecai encourages Esther to take action because of her position in the time they were living. Reread the story of Esther and notice her place and the purpose she was able to live.
Christians must remember their time involves other people. There are certain people in this world who are always late. It might never occur to them when they are late. They show that your time does not matter. Be considerate of others and at least call ahead when you are going late. Remember that your time also needs to be one of service to your fellow man. Consider verses like Galatians 6.10 and Romans 12.9-21.
Also remember this verse from Philippians: “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Philippians 2.4, ESV)
A Christian’s time is important for many reason other than those listed above. Even Solomon, in all of his wisdom, riches and position as king, reflected on how life passes quickly in the book of Ecclesiastes.
Allow me to offer some suggestions on maximizing our time (spiritually).
Commit to one of these for a month and see if you grow spiritually.
Get up 15 minutes earlier and spend part of that time in prayer.
Go to bed 15 minutes later and spent part of the time praying with/for your family.
Encourage one person a day (send a card, email, phone call).
Read one Psalm a day.
Buy the Bible on CD and listen to it in your car—Build knowledge while driving.
Sunday morning a seat was empty. Someone was not here. Their absence could have been because of sickness, other health issues, work, laziness, or pleasure in worldly things. However, we may never know each one’s decision to miss services. All we know is, they missed.
When someone misses services, they miss out on the fellowship of brothers and sisters in Christ. Fellowship is not about food, but about many things. Fellowship means sharing.
It is the sharing of experiences, sharing encouragement, sharing joys and sorrows, and even sharing physical things. The Scriptures tell us that the early church shared with any brother or sister that had a need. (Acts 2.42-47)
It is hard to share with someone who is not present. It is difficult to know what a person’s need are if they do not fellowship with the saints.
As Christians, we are to do good to all men especially those of the household of faith. (Galatians 6.10) When we are able to do good to those in the household of faith, it strengthens our relationship to one another.
Remember when Thomas missed seeing Jesus?
In John 20.24-29, Thomas was not present and did not have the same experiences as the other disciples.
As a result, Thomas did not believe their words. Even though he had been walking with these men for three years, Thomas did not believe them.
Thomas failed to believe in his fellow disciples because he missed. He missed the fellowship and in turn, he missed seeing Jesus. Consider this, his doubts arose because he missed fellowship. His trust in the words of his brethren declined, because he was not present.
On Sunday, someone missed.
They missed more than services.
They missed fellowship.
They missed hope.
They missed opportunities.
And, if I were a betting man, I bet some of them missed Jesus.
Did You Get Anything from the Sermon or Bible Class?
As a minister, one question I think about during the week is, “What will people get out of this lesson?” Or “What did people get out of last week’s lesson?” Also, as a minister, I know some lessons are better than others and people listen and respond differently, but…did you get anything out of the sermon or the Bible class?
Allow me to offer a few suggestions that might help you to get something from a lesson:
What did you put into the lesson?
Did you prepare your mind before Sunday?
Did you open your mind to the message or be as a Pharisee (Matthew 15.1-9) or a mocker (Acts 17.32)?
Did you open your Bible and follow along?
Did you take notes on the message to review later?
Did you bring a proper attitude to worship?
Just another thought: The old saying rings true, “you get out of something what you put into it.”
Why Did You Come to Worship?
Do you not come to join with the saints in mutual fellowship and mutual worship to God the Father?
Do you not come to support the preaching of God’s Word or do you always look to see what you get from it?
Do you glorify God or seek self-glorification?
Where was your mind during the lesson?
Were you thinking of how to apply or know the message or were your thoughts on how much time you are wasting? (Attitude determines altitude)
What were two points listed during the message?
Can you recall three passages of scripture during the message?
Can you recall the title of the message?
These questions will not solve all the issues with listening to a sermon, but they provide a good start. Many times, people need to look internally before looking externally.
Even though Father’s Day is over, the wisdom of our fathers can bring us knowledge every day. It does not need to be a special day to appreciate the wisdom of our father.
You may remember Lee Iacocca from his famous statement, “If you can find a better car, but it” or from the great turnaround of the Chrysler Corporation in the 1980s.
Lee Iacocca had a well-known career in the auto industry. While he may be best known for the Chrysler turnaround to one of the biggest car companies of the 1980s, he is also known for his development in the Ford Mustang. Over the course of his career in the auto industry, his net worth has grown to over $100 million.
Even with great business success and great wealth, he never forgot the wisdom his father gave him concerning greed: “Be careful about money. When you have five thousand, you’ll want ten. And when you have ten, you’ll want twenty.” Lee Iacocca wrote, “He was right. No matter what you have, it’s never enough.” (Iacocca, Lee Iacocca, 1986, p.155)
When I read this I was reminded of the words of Jesus in Luke 12.15, ““Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
As Christians, we understand the things we see in this world are temporary and the things we do not see are eternal (2 Corinthians 4.18). The world, and Satan, has a way to tempt us with the things that we see, feel, and enjoy (1 John 2.15-17) but we must remember that life is not in earthly possessions. Life is in Christ. (John 14.6)
