Poster Archive : January 2013
Message: New Year's Resolution
Superman might have kryptonite, but for us mere mortals its ice cream. A super-villain of great cunning, ice cream has the power to bring us to our very knees. How do we know? Because once the Christmas celebrations are finally over and the New Year starts, we loosen our belt buckle over our growing stomachs and make a firm resolution that we'll drop that extra kilo or two by exercising more or eating healthier. 'Definitely this time' we say. 'Without a doubt'. 'Lock it in, Eddie'.
But barely a month later, after a hard day at work, we're standing in front of the freezer and justifying a sneaky pick-me-up to reward ourselves. As we lean in to open the door we look anywhere but at that local gym flier! Our focus is on the important matter in hand - the ice cream tub. But should we have triple chocolate fudge or cookies-and-cream?
Ah, if only we gave God as much priority as we did our stomachs ... or our hobbies. Or that holiday we're planning. Or what's on TV tonight.
When Christ died for us, he sacrificed his life so that we could be forgiven all our wrongdoings. Not only that, he offered eternal life to those who love him and willingly obey Him. Putting it bluntly and clearly, Jesus died so that those who believe in him can permanently escape hell.
Such a free gift at such an enormous cost should never be downplayed. But that's what we do. Jesus teaches us through the Bible that there is more to life than just material possessions. They can only ever give us short-lived comfort. Yet we allow ourselves to be distracted by them so easily. And we let the issues of this life dominate.
The top of our list should always be living for God. Jesus has an amazing promise for us if we stop being anxious about our needs - food, clothing, shelter, forgiveness, love and so on. Jesus says this about our relationship with God:
" ... seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well"
Isn't that what we all dream of? A life free of distraction? A life full of purpose?
At this time of year when we list the things we'd like to do or change about ourselves, make God your number one priority. After all, Jesus made you his number one priority when he died on the cross.
Prayer: Dear God, my life is full of distractions and materialism. Please change my focus so that knowing you is the most important thing in my life. Amen.
Bible verse: But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:33)
