Pursuing God This Year

I’ve never been one to make New Year’s resolutions. January 1st is known to strike up the attitude “new year, new you.” The reason why most people don’t follow through with New Year’s resolutions is because a day on the calendar can’t successfully change your heart and mindset, at least not for most people. We try. Our new diet and exercise plan may last a couple months but after that it’s back to your old eating habits and watching TV, thinking ‘maybe next year…’

As the New Year is upon us, I can’t help but want to encourage everyone I come in contact with to make the decision to pursue Christ in 2013. There is no better time than today. I’m always for new believers accepting Christ, but what about us seasoned believers? We can ALWAYS grow deeper in our relationship with our Creator.

I think back to previous circumstances in my life, the ones that drew me closer and the ones that caused me to flee. Were the activities in my spare time robbing me of Christ? Too much TV? Sleeping instead of spending time in the Word? Are you a sports fan and spend your Sundays watching football? Me personally, I’m a huge reality TV fan. Awful, I know. It keeps me entertained, but not in a good way. I encourage you to think about the things that draw you closer to Christ. Do you enjoy walks outside? Worship music? Quiet mornings with Him? Learn to separate the your actions and pursue ones that better you as a child of the King.

This is no easy task. Like most of our New Year’s resolutions it will take time and effort. The most important thing is putting your whole heart into it. Giving your all up for Christ is so worth it. Going into the New Year, instead of having a ‘this is right, this is wrong’ kind of outlook, look at the things you do and remind yourself over and over again that you are giving up old ways for Him, to get to know Him better, to fall more deeply in love with Christ. If we don’t have Jesus as number one we are lost. Philippians 3:7-8 reminds us, “But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whose sake I have lost everything.” It’s not about what you did in 2012 it is about what you are going to do in 2013. It is never too late to get to know Christ on a deeper level. The perfect time is NOW.

As you start this journey I invite you to pray aloud Psalm 63:3-4 “Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.”