Faith, hope, love

While another year has sped by us, the earth has made another revolution around our star. Our world will revolve around its axis bringing a new day every twenty-four hours. Our national economy continues to improve as new industries grow, expand and prosper. As we leave winter, our days will gradually grow longer preparing for the advent of spring. Hibernating animals will slowly begin to awake, hungry they will begin foraging for food. Many people, on the other hand, will decide to put restrictions on their daily intake by limiting the amount of food they consume.

Like a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis, the New Year brings limitless possibilities and opportunities. To life there is a cycle, an endless tide of situational ups and downs, where we are blessed with many opportunities and challenges. It’s like a sine wave that can be both freighting as well as exuberating all at the same time. But careful planning for the future can limit risk and pay out dividends to all faithful investors who are not living just for today. The prudent pilgrim will carefully take one day at a time while carefully observing and planning each step he is about to take.

What we choose to build our lives on, our foundation, is the most important part of our building. Inside of every human heart there is a missing part, a God shaped hole that only can be filled by an omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent Creator; and it’s during this time of the year that many are forced to look inside at this emptiness, desperately searching for the missing piece. Many turn to illicit drugs and alcohol to avoid the reality of their situation. Substances numb them temporarily but never repair completely the hole that only God can fill. Many will disagree with me on this issue but until the One, true and living God becomes part of someone’s life, true happiness, satisfaction and contentment will never be a reality.

For all of you that are hurting, struggling with life, relationships and day to day living know that you can find comfort in Jesus. In Matthew 11:28 He calls and invites each one of us “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and My burden is light.” The bible says to endure the storms of this present world we must build our lives with God as our foundation. He doesn’t promise us smooth sailing here on earth but He will help carry our burdens.

Our hope is not of this world but rather the one that is yet to come. It’s not about gaining and storing material possessions here on earth, where moths and rust will destroy them; it’s about an eternal life that God promises us. The very first step on this wonderful journey is to first lay our foundation, which is putting our faith in Jesus Christ. Once we have realized our short comings and our need of an all loving God, then we ask Jesus to be our Lord and Master, to fill the missing part in our heart, then and only then can we begin building on our foundation.

Our hope of an eternal future coupled with our faith in a living God will transform us into new creatures. As the old fleshly man dies, a new man is born and our bodies become the temple of the Holy Spirit. This new transformed vessel is now intertwined with Jesus Christ and capable of carrying us through very dark, turbulent waters of life to safe harbor.

Many of you are asking yourself “But what is life all about? Why was I created? And what do I do now?” Once restored by our Creator we are ready to let our light shine in a dark world. A true relationship with God will produce fruit in our lives. We don’t have to plan or cleverly scheme how to win souls it’s more a matter of surrender, letting go of the old man and letting God’s Spirit control us.

So as this New Year gets off the ground, and we look for resolutions to make let us choose to let our lights shine on others around us. As we build beautiful dwellings on our foundations we add flavor to life, spicing up the bland existence of others around us. Spreading God’s love is the reason we are here. Because He first loved us we can now love others causing them to see Jesus inside of us. “And now abide faith, hope, love these three; but the greatest of these is love” 1 Corinthians 3:13