Revolutions and Resolutions

Midweek Study with Pastor Edith
January 1 2025
2 Corinthians 5:16-17

I’ve been using a prayer pattern with the acronym; A.C.T.S. for this past year and plan on continuing in this new year. It is a bit of a discipline to follow every morning as I get out of bed, but it never fails to set me in a positive attitude as I begin a new day. Therefore, I plan to continue to begin each day with Adoring God and worshipping Him. Next I move into a humble time of Confession (this can take a while ). Then I Thank the Lord for all He has done and all He is about to do. Finally, I come to a time of Supplication, when I bring the needs of others as well as myself before the Lord as the Holy Spirit draws these to my attention.

I will admit that there have been far too many mornings I let myself fall back asleep before following through, or I hit the floor running and forget to come back to this prayer time.

Nevertheless, I have the pattern before me and I can come back to it at any time and in any place. Do you have patterns you follow? We all have routines of some sort, which can be very helpful, or sometimes puts us in ruts. Today is the day to begin again and begin anew.

I have it on my heart this first day of a new year, to focus on drawing closer to God and in so doing, I can grow closer to those around me. It’s a way of Resolve, not making a New Year’s Resolution so much, as it is looking for ways to grow in my relationship with God and therefore participating in God’s Revolutionary way of love.

 Our scripture passage for today puts it this way; “From now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

I find it so compelling to take a closer look at the way I truly view people. Is it possible that I am too critical or sometimes cynical? This is where the Resolution leads to Revolution; Because God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, I can begin to “regard no one from a worldly point of view”, and pray that as I am more and more “in Christ” I can be a living invitation for everyone to come in too.

Happy New Year! And Happy New You!