New Year

Okay, I took an unannounced sabbatical from blogging. I hope to be a little more consistent beginning the new year. I would like to log at least one entry a week, but please don't hold me to it.

I've never been one to make resolutions at the beginning of the year. I've always felt that if the Lord challenged or convicted me in an area, I should respond in obedience right then and there. Of course, setting goals and striving to attain those goals is a good thing whether it is renewing a spiritual discipline, getting in better shape, eating more healthily, etc.

What I like to do with a new year is take the opportunity to pause, listen to God, and hear what He is calling me to pursue. This year, He has led me to two pursuits: one a character quality and another a book study.

Character Quality
Philippians 2:1-8 says,

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yoursleves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross?

What a powerful passage this is! Paul begins by encouraging the Philippian church to be like-minded and selfless. He then encourages each individual to put the interests of others above his/her own. Then he throws in the pinnacle of example - Jesus Christ.

He says that our attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus. Obviously, I have a long way to go here. Christ sets the perfect example of humility and humbleness by becoming a servant and dying on a cross.

By God's grace and the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit, I seek to pursue in my life the character of humility and humbleness. I will seek to live it out personally with my family and friends, but also to demonstrate it with my neighbors and those out of my circle of relationship.

Book Study
My heart has been drawn to the book of Romans over these past months and weeks. I have committed to throughouly studying this book throughout this year. I hope to read through the book numerous times as well as read multiple commentaries written from different perspectives. Just this week, I've purchased John Stott's commentary on the book and have already begun the verse-by-verse study that he provides. I'm trusting that this will be an exciting adventure.

My ultimate desire is that God would be glorified in and through my life through these two pursuits. My prayer is that it will enrich and bless my family, my friends, and each person that the Lord brings across my path. I also hope that it will spill over into my ministry at UBC and each unique facet of my life.

I will blog about my journey in these two areas throughout the year.