Friday, January 20, 2012

First Things First

"Seek first the Kingdom of God..." Matt 6:33

OK, so I'll join the others that hit on the idea that this is a new year - will it also be a new you? Most of us contemplate resolutions; most of us never keep them. I am convinced this year that there is only one resolution that we as Christians should make or consider. That is the resolution to make First things First, or put simply to put our Faith development first and foremost in our lives. If you do that, then scripture promises that everything else will fall into place.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart ...in all your ways acknowledge him, and HE will direct your path" Proverbs 3:5-6. Simply stated again - it is time to surrender to His will and His ways. If we do that - all the puzzle pieces of our life will fit together. Remember God's plans for us are good, not harmful (Jeremiah 29:11).

Why do we as Christians struggle so with this? If you went to any 12-step group - do you know what the first thing they tell you that you must do? Surrender to God... Now, I'm not going to get into a discussion about what God they are really about, but the point is that they know we need to put something in first place besides ourselves. As Christians we know what that TRUE something is: GOD. Stephen Artherburn and David Stoop collaborated on a book on the keys to spiritual renewal.

Key number #1 - SURRENDER.
What is surrender? Webster defines it this way: "to yield to the power, control, or possession of another...; to give oneself over to something (an influence)." We surrender each day. We yield to peer pressure, temptation, the opinions of others, etc... Surrender like that does not lead to renewal - it leads to destruction and defeat. Godly surrender or putting Him first in our life, seeking His will before our will, getting ourselves and others off the throne and putting God on the throne - that is the surrender we need to resolve to this year in our lives.

2 Peter 1:3-4 tells us what our lives can be like when we resolve to make Him first. "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires."

Are you ready this year to escape the world and live in His promises? Then surrender your will and put Him first. Everything I read and have experienced tells me that if we do... then 2012 will be the year that exceeds our plans and expectations.

Lynne Jahns
Christian Counselor

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