By Not Known
Today is the sixth day of 2013. Have you had a meaningful start to the year? What did you do this last week? Let me guess… packing up last year’s Christmas presents, getting your children ready for their first school-day, getting into office early to clear backlogged emails, chasing up some post-Christmas sales…
The turn of the year prompts some people to become eager planners; others to become busy packers, and even more people to become greedy purchasers. The things that we did in the first week of this year have probably repeated themselves last year and will replay again next year. Our priorities in week one are most likely a testimony to the rest of the 51 weeks, unless some intentional re-prioritising happens!
In the last pastoral message of 2012, I asked all of us what words would have summarised your life if a Google search for significant events was to be done on you. In view of Christmas, I also encouraged us that Jesus has written over every day of our lives with three words: FORGIVEN, HOPE-FILLED, SIGNIFICANT. How will you live the remaining 51 weeks of 2013?
For all who desire to live out God’s Christmas gift in Jesus over the next 51 weeks, let me draw some pointers from Ecclesiastes 12 for your consideration and action:
• Remember your Creator today (v1) It is so easy to delay till tomorrow what you can do today to get to know God more personally. Start reading your Bible and praying from today; understand God’s will and do it!
• Remember your Creator tomorrow (v6) Obeying God should never be in the past tense. Obedience should always be in the present tense in our lives. Starting well is essential; ending well is critical. When it comes to nurturing our relationships with God, forward consistency matters!
• Examine your priorities (vv8&13) The plain pursuit of life itself is meaningless because life is intended for God’s use to bring glory to his name. Do what you need to do, but do what God wants! Make God’s wants your needs.
• What will God say? (v14) It does not matter what a Google-search on your life would say about you. Ultimately, it is what God says that matters! What is God already saying about your life today and possibly 2013…?
Benson Goh