I have a friend named Esther. She has one of the most positive attitudes I've ever seen. Every Tuesday Esther sends a spiritually encouraging text to several others. Because the messages are always so upbeat, I look forward to hearing from her every week.
This week's message was especially thought provoking. Esther made so many good points; but two or three statements really stuck with me. The thoughts she shared kept running through my mind --probably because I needed to learn from them.
I will quote my friend -- "We ask the Lord to deliver us from satan's evils and not get caught up in promises made and not kept through the year." Did you get that? Don't dwell on promises made but not kept. Excellent advice, don't you think?
How many of us waste so much time trifling over unkept promises? So many situations come to mind. We might think of promises others made to us, or those we made to others, or even of promises we made to ourselves. Friends and loved ones sometimes disappoint us -- even when they have no intention whatsoever of doing so. Someone might promise never to hurt us or raise their voice in anger or complete a task within a certain time frame.
Let's be honest here. Sometimes we make promises we can't keep. We may speak them in good faith - fully hoping to live up to our words. We are all human. Life happens. Sometimes we forget. Sometimes we set unrealistic expectations for ourselves or others. Sometimes we stop caring. We cannot let these situations hold us back.
Parts of my past that haunt me the most are promises I made and didn't or couldn't keep. But we can't ever expect to move forward if we allow ourselves to stay wrapped up in the past. That includes an unkept promise - regardless of who made it.
Esther was right. Getting caught up in promises made and not kept through the year -- well, that keeps us in the old year. When we do, we prevent ourselves from moving on to opportunities of the new year. Maybe we should learn what we can from the experiences and move on. Christ said, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God" (Luke 9:62 ESV).
I think being fit for the kingdom is the point Esther was trying to make. Getting caught up in the negative keeps us from finding the positive all around us. She went on to say "let's get this year rolling in the right frame of mind and gear, giving God all the praise and glory." This statement also stuck with me.
Our frame of mind refers to our mental or emotional attitude or mood. We certainly can't give God praise and glory if we aren't mentally prepared to do so. Consider Colossians 3:1-4. I think these verses fit perfectly into the discussion here:
"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory."
If we have our minds set on things above, then we will be able give our lives to Christ. We will be in the right frame of mind -- have the right attitude -- to love Him as we should. If we love Christ as we should, we will love others as He did. Then our own lives will be hidden and those around us will see Christ in us. Seeking the things above will bring us to glory with Christ. Oh how wonderful will that be!
It takes a lot of work and discipline to keep our minds centered on the Savior. Yet it is the only way to win the battle over the devil. Paul goes on to list all the earthly things we are to lay aside in order to live the new life Christ would have us to live. We must leave the worldly life behind.
Changing our minds help us change our actions. In Romans 12:1-2 we are exhorted to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. I don't know if my friend Esther had this scripture in mind, but I think she was right on target. We can't become like our Father if we aren't in the right frame of mind.
The apostle Paul tells the Ephesians much the same thing in Ephesians 4: 22-24. He exhorts them to leave their old way of life of corruption. He also tells them how to accomplish this goal - "to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness."
Esther also mentioned getting in the right gear for the new year. Well, what about that? Merriam-Webster on-line dictionary defines getting in gear as working more energetically or effectively. Shouldn't we all want to work energetically and effectively toward getting to heaven? The word zeal comes to my mind here.
Think about gears. Many things need some type of gear to work. Gears have been used in machines for a long time. An automobile needs to be in the right gear to move forward. In neutral no power moves from the engine to the wheels or other moving parts of the vehicle.
Similarly, we can't get to heaven by remaining in spiritual neutrality. We have to be moving forward standing for righteousness and holiness. Yes, we definitely have to be in the right gear -- serving our Father effectively and energetically.
In Philippians 3, Paul focused on one thing: forgetting what was behind and looking forward to the future, he continued (pressed) on toward the "prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (v. 13-14). If we are to be found faithful, we must stay focused on the Savior.
Dwelling on empty promises will pull us away from the prize of the upward call. We will become disappointed and discouraged. This will keep us from getting in the right frame of mind to live a righteous life. However, if we focus on the promises of our God who cannot lie we will be full of hope. We will have the mental fortitude to keep going -- to "not grow weary in well-doing."
Let's adopt the right frame of mind by seeking the things that are above. Let's get into gear. Live a hidden life "with Christ in God." For then we have a promise: "When Christ, who is our life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory."
After all, His promise is the only one that matters.
Christ above all things,
Robin
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