Well, we made it to 2025. For most of December, I tried to write thought provoking posts about Advent being the first liturgical season of the theological year and some thoughts on Jesus, the Magi and the arrival of the baby Jesus on earth. Normally, I use my first post of the new year to talk about how we get a do-over every year. We get to wipe the slate clean, forget the transgressions of the past year – and start anew…
This year I am headed in a different direction. That’s because most of our readership consists of people who are more mature in their faith and the beginning of the year is not so much about starting over as it is about getting better this year than we were last year… In theological terms, this is called progressive sanctification. Are we more like Jesus today than we were a year ago? That’s how we measure success in our faith lives. Will we continue to grow our faith and be even more like Jesus a year from today?
God understands that we are not perfect and a sinless life just isn’t in the cards this side of heaven. Periodically, we will all sin, even the most devout of us, but sin should be the exception and not the default way that we run our lives… That’s the difference between a Christ follower and a non-believer.
Personally, I have been concentrating on my role as patriarch of the family for this year. How can I mentor our grandsons (sorry, no granddaughters in the family) to help them develop their faith? And develop character… and lead by example…and exhibit wisdom… After Janet and I are gone, who will influence them? Yes, I expect our son and daughters to step up, but I have been trained for this role since my earliest childhood and I sense God leading me to step up my game this year. So be it… I can do that!
This isn’t a case of trusting God. I already do that. But sometimes, I feel the need to try and impose my will as opposed to listening to the Holy Spirit. In truth, I forget to listen. I need to be quiet and let the Spirit wash over me. I can’t forget to turn things over to God to handle. And I am not the only one in the family who has identified this as a discipline to work on this year. In fact, I think it is a universal concern for most Christians.
I was on the phone earlier today with our oldest daughter, Kristin, and she shared that she is dealing with the anxiety of three boys who are college age and dealing with all kinds of their own pressures as they mature. And then there are health issues at play here as well. Several of our family members are dealing with the consequences of chronic illnesses or diseases that are made worse by stress and anxiety.
Kristin’s decision on how to handle this dilemma? CHILL OUT! Turn these problems over to God and get out of the way. After all, we are powerless to change a thing and everything will work out in accordance with God’s will for our lives. I know this may sound like a simplistic faith, but doesn’t Jesus want us to have childlike faith? Of course, we can still pray!
On reflection, I think Kristin’s thoughts on leaning into God and trying to relieve the stress and anxiety of life by depending on God is a solution worth trying. In fact, this isn’t new. The apostle Paul wrote about anxiety in his book to the Philippians. Our verse tonight highlights his thoughts on this subject. Paul tells us, and the church at Philippi, in Philippians 4:4-7, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Paul wants us to lean on God – that’s the trust part… and then he implores us to let go and let God handle our issues. My encouragement this evening is that it takes a step of faith to just know that God has this handled. In other words, chill out! So, let’s not make this year about starting over – we are already on the path of progressive sanctification. Rather, my prayer is that we should try to be more calm and gentle – exhibiting a Christ like behavior and leaving our stress and anxiety at the feet of the Lord. It’s worth a try, isn’t it?
So whether it is a leadership issue, a concern about a job or career, a family dilemma, a health problem or anything else that causes us to be robbed of divine peace, let’s try to turn it over and leave it to God. What a wonderful way to start the year! Have a great day in the Lord, grace and peace…