January 05, 2025
Greetings and blessings to all of you. A New Year is here. You and I have made accomplishments. Maybe a promotion, a new career, maybe a proposal, retired, or you have begun to scratch off items on your bucket list. These are things that we wanted to do in order to feel a sense of achievement. Nothing wrong with that. However, when you read about Paul’s accomplishments in Phil. Chap. 3 you will find that he was esteemed above all the Jews. His Jewish credentials were impeccable. But he said in Phil. 3:7, “I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage so that I could gain Christ, and become one with Him.” The key phrases of this year should be Stay Humble, Focus on What Really Matters and Be Willing to Change. Have you concluded as Paul did that your position in your place of work or home or your present achievements or plans so important that they might get in the way of your relationship with Christ? As Paul have you thought about your accomplishments and your future goals and decided to count them as worthless when comparing it with the greatness of knowing Christ? To know Christ should be our ultimate goal this year. Paul gave up everything; family friendships and freedom in order to know Christ and His resurrection power. Sacrificing is very difficult for us even as practicing Christians because it means giving up something we value whether it is time, comfort, personal desire or some ‘identity’ that you have claimed as part of your perceived dignity. What are we willing to give up beginning this new year in order to know Christ? Will it be Netflix binges, overloaded work schedule, sports TV, family and/or friends, social media or just scanning the You Tube (information overload)? What about spending time in Bible Apologetics, prayer, meditating on Christ and all that He has done for you. Will you spend time praying out loud for the salvation of the people you say you care about? Whatever you must change or give up having Christ and becoming one with him will be more than worth the sacrifice. This heart change will only happen with a Humble Spirit with a willingness to Change.
With the Love of Christ
First Lady Vivian C. Currie
Pastor ALC