Will Your Relationship with Jesus Grow Next Year?

 December 29, 2024

Sunday

1 Corinthians 9:27 (ESV) ²⁷ But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

For too many, coming to Christ is the end of the road rather than the beginning. They come to church with no expectation of purpose. To many church is like a buffet line. They pick up what they like and leave the rest. One serious act of service is enough to live off of for years. They will point out that the painted the Family Life Center or Sanctuary, they will speak with pride of the class they led at one point, they will remark on their own faithfulness to give. Meanwhile, they are unchanged.

Too many Christians think that being a Christian is going to church and taking studies. Thus, they are full of knowledge with notebooks lining their bookshelves. But do they understand that it isn't knowledge that Jesus is looking for? The real question is whether people obeyed the Lord. The real question is if they know Jesus. The real question is if they have walked with Him. And when they are asked, they have no definitive answer. So, they point back to the things they did years ago.

A Christian testimony must be kept current. It should not be what you did last year or ten years ago. It should be an encounter you had with the Lord and His word yesterday or today. Beyond that, it is ancient history for a testimony. While constant introspection can be unhealthy, no evaluation where you are with the Lord can be disastrous. 

It is as simple as this: Are you growing closer to the Lord at this minute or not? Do you know what it means to grow closer? Are you having encounters with the Lord in prayer, in God's word and with other people who stimulate those encounters? The answer to these questions tell us where we are.

Many Christians don't think of spiritual things until they must. They are forced into them by an encounter with someone who demands a spiritual answer. It may be one of their children or someone who calls them a Christian and looks to them for advice. Unfortunately, spiritual strength comes from practice rather than knowledge. And wisdom comes from the Lord, not what happened years ago.

Will this next year be different? Only if they decided to walk with the Lord. It will start with confession, commitment and lead to constant communion. It isn't easy since the world is doing its best to draw you closer to itself.

And then, will you stand next year saying, "I meant to change this past year but I fell into my old patterns?" Be determined. Every serious Christian must be.