"I
have not achieve it, but I focus on this one thing; Forgetting the past and
looking forward to what lies ahead,
I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God,
through Christ Jesus, is calling us."
Philippians 3:13-14 (NLT)
I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God,
through Christ Jesus, is calling us."
Philippians 3:13-14 (NLT)
I
have always felt lousy on New Year’s Eve.
It always seemed like I should be experiencing something that wasn’t
experiencing. Everyone in the world
appeared to be having a big party, but I wasn’t at that party.
I looked to me as if everyone was celebrating, capping off the year
either triumphantly, “what an awesome year” or were drowning their misery in
loud music, alcohol and sex, “what a lousy year 2015 was, let’s party”.
And everyone would sing Auld Lang Syne and even that made me feel left
out because I had no idea what it meant.
Recently
New Year’s eve has been spent with friends (let auld acquaintance never be
forgot – or something like that) and that’s been good, even great, but still
something short of the world wide party that it’s somehow supposed to be for
everyone in the world.
Yet
I have learned to take these feelings of unfulfilled yearning, the past New
Year’s Eves’ let downs and the feeling of the loss of something I never had
and chalk it all up to the only joy that contains the kind of hope that I can
live on.
That
hope is the one promised by the Christian Gospel.
It is the hope that this world, the year just completed, is not all there
is. It is the hope that every
single thing in this world, the absolute best of it, is not the ultimate, rather
the best of this world finds it’s purpose as a hint of the New World to come.
So
tonight I’m going to party, (yes there are time when pastor Jeff can actually
be fun, at least that’s what Kathy tells me – at least sometimes), but I
know that it will be nostalgic. I’ll
experience a nostalgia not for the events of 2015 now past, rather for that
place that exists, but which I’ve never actually been to, but which I know in
my heart of hearts does exist and is expecting me.
How
about you? How do you connect
this last day of 2015 to the reality of God in Jesus Christ who has come to
bring you life, not just existence, life that is truly life not just temporary
pleasure, a deep pain transcending joy, not just temporary happinesses?
Can you go to bed tonight profoundly and eternally grateful for the gift
of 2015, humbled by God’s Grace in your life, prepared to awaken tomorrow
committed to find your truest life in Jesus Christ?
For
more:
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