Monroe column: Let's move forward

When the new year starts, we seem to always want to make resolutions that we are going to do better, eat better, exercise more ...well, you get the picture. This year instead of looking at last year as a failure in some of those areas, I have decided to forget and move on.

The word tells us to do this when we come to have a relationship with Jesus. We become new creatures and our past wrongs are just that, past. And the Lord even goes so far as to say they are forgotten.

“This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord; I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,” then he adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” (Hebrews 10: 16-17).

Some people say don't teach that way; people will think they have free rein to sin. Well, I do not believe that when a person comes to Christ Jesus that they continue to have a desire to sin. You see, the word says first that he will put his laws into our hearts and minds. In other words once you become a Christian you have a desire to know Jesus better and the way you get to know him better is through his word. When we spend time in his word he is writing them on our minds and in our hearts.

Our pastor used some scriptures this week that really got me to thinking about the new year and how I want to spend each day. Here is what I got from the teaching this week, and I will be paraphrasing the scriptures so look them up for yourselves to see what they actually say.

Philippians 3: 13-14: Forget those things which are behind and press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. In other words, what I got was “get over what has passed and move on, but make your goal to spend more time with Jesus each day.” Remember, God says “seek Me first and My Kingdom and all other things shall be added unto you.” What things did he say will be added? ALL! That means if it is your health, your weight, your finances, your relationship, your job — whatever area you want to excel in this year, then first seek him.

Heb. 12:1-2— Let us lay aside every weight and the sin which we are so easily trapped by and let us run the race with endurance looking to Jesus as our finish line and prize. Now don’t get into condemnation over this one, thinking that you have to do good to reach Jesus and finish your race. No, that is not what this is saying. As our pastor said Sunday, all weights are not sin. For me a weight that trips me up is Facebook. Our pastor also made the comment that someone had said that Facebook is proof positive you had time to read the word and spend time with the Lord.

WOW! I know that for sure. I can get on there and play scrabble or other games and the next thing you know, it has been two or three hours. OK, all you holier than thou ones out there that think I spend way too much time on Facebook, let me just ask you, what is your weight? What is keeping you away from spending quality time with the Lord in his word each day? Is it hunting or fishing, or baseball or football or sewing or crafting or reading and watching TV? As I said, weights are not always sin. They are just something that holds you down and keeps you from reaching the goal, grabbing the prize.

1 Cor 9:24 — Everyone might run in the race but only one wins the prize. Here again, don’t think just because you didn’t win the first prize you didn’t win. When we finish our race, when we actually do what we set out to do and complete our goal, we have won. We might not have come in first. We might not spend three hours a day in the word, but if we would take time to FIRST seek him and spend time with him each day, we will have won the greatest prize of all: quality time with our Lord and Savior. Quality time with the one who laid it all down at the cross for us. Quality time with the one who is not going to throw up our past mistakes to us but the one who will be encouraging us all the way to the finish line. The one who every time a weight tries to trap us or pull us down will be there in his word to give us the strength to get up and enjoy the victory that he has already attained for us over 2000 years ago on the cross when he said it is finished.

It is completed.

We can make this new year our best ever. Find a scripture to meditate on daily for the year 2012 and seek him first each day and let his wisdom guide us through the race of 2012 so that we all finish with the prize — the prize being Jesus. AMEN!

My scripture this year shall be Psalms 23:1 — The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.

This is my meditation. I shall not lack in any area of my life because the Lord says so, and His word is truth.

Stay in the word!

Neta Monroe lives in Salisbury.

Neta

www.godstidbitstome.blogspot.com

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