A new year is upon us. For many, it’s a time for assessment, introspection and resolutions. A lot of this personal analysis can be boiled down to re-evaluating two questions: “What is my purpose?” and “How do I fulfill that purpose?”
I believe the answer to those two questions is found in the Great Commandment (Matthew 22). Jesus said the greatest commandment of the law was (vs 37-38), “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.”
Relationship with Jesus is the greatest purpose for our new year. We should love Him with everything we have. We need to give Him our hearts, our minds, our affections and our very lives.
Along with that, our goal should be to grow in love and devotion to Jesus every day. Certainly, we should do this before all other resolutions, goals or improvements.
But, how is that purpose measured in our lives? How can someone look at us and tell we are growing in it? Jesus gave the answer in the very next verse (Matthew 22:39), “And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Love and Serve Others
Simply put, the way we love God is by loving and serving people. We need to take our eyes off ourselves as well as put others’ interests first.
Jesus told His followers to “love our neighbor as ourselves”. Easier said than done, right? Without a doubt, I need this reminder every day, not just every year. My own selfishness easily gets in the way.
Our culture constantly screams in our faces, “Love yourself. Make sure you are saving enough time for yourself, you deserve that. You are the most important one in your life.” In fact, many New Year’s resolutions revolve around improving oneself — without thought to others.
By comparison, Jesus spoke the complete opposite of this. Additionally, He not only said it, He lived it. Jesus was the example of how to love and serve others. He constantly taught us.
Jesus told us our purpose and showed us how to live it. May we, by His grace, live that out in this new year.
Grace and peace,
Posted in A Word from the Pastor