The new year is dawning and as is customary this time of year I am sure many reading this article have turned their attention over the past few weeks to make new resolutions for 2023. The vast majority of these resolutions most likely fall into the financial, health and wellness, or education category. The question I would like to pose in this article is, ‘How much attention have you given to spiritual resolutions?’ There is nothing inherently wrong with making resolutions regarding the things of this world and its day-to-day activities of our life, but when they consume our attention and drown out the spiritual things that should be the central focus of our lives, they then become a point of concern.
Paul penned the following words in Colossians 3:1-3 to the Christians living in Colosse during the first century.
If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
These inspired words written so long ago continue to echo through the ages to those today who have likewise been raised with Christ through the watery grave of baptism (Romans 6:1-4). In so doing, we have laid the old self-governing by the priorities of worldly life to rest and have set our minds firmly on the spiritual things, the heavenly things. We no longer should live to govern by are own goals and desires, but rather those of Christ…His mission is now our mission…our life belongs to Him and is no longer our own.
There is a hymn sung in many congregations worldwide that contains the lyric, “I am resolved no longer to linger charmed by the worlds delights, things that are higher, things that are nobler, these have allured my sight.” Often when this song is sung during the worship service, before standing up and delivering the message, I ask the congregation, ‘How many of us just lied?’ Are we truly resolved, fully resolved, to no longer linger in the enchanting trance produced by affixation on the delights of this world? Have we truly resolved, fully resolved, to set our focus firmly on the higher, nobler things of God?
Just like with new year’s resolutions, we start well with a dedication to the realization of the new year’s goals we have set before us; in our spiritual resolve as a new person in Christ, we rise out of the watery grave determined to give our all to Christ, and as time progresses the world overshadows that determination. Paul asked the early Christians in Galatia an essential question in Galatians 5:7, “You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?” Just like those in Galatians some two thousand years ago, we need to ask ourselves what in our life is hindering us from being more dedicated Christians. And once we find the answer to that question, fully resolve to remove the obstacle.
The Main Street Church of Christ in Lockney, TX; where I serve as a minister; has adopted a theme for 2023 that is a title of a song found in many hymnals… oddly enough will serve as a theme song as well. None of Self and All of Thee is the title of the hymn. As one progresses through the lyrics of the song, a journey of life unfolds stating with ALL of SELF and NONE of THEE, passes through SOME of SELF and SOME of THEE, moving on to LESS of SELF and MORE of THEE, and finally arrives at NONE of SELF and ALL of THEE. This is the journey we are all on as Christians, and we each currently reside somewhere along this road of maturity in Christ.
Our theme and our goal for the new year is ‘None of Self and All of Thee in 2023.’ It is our hope and prayer to grow and progress in our journey from selfishness to selflessness. A journey that, as a body of believers dedicated to Christ, need not take alone for we all walk together down the road of spiritual growth.
In Ephesians 2:1-10 Paul twice mentions that as Christians, we have been made ALIVE in Christ. Now we were living, breathing creatures prior to coming into the covenant relationship with God through Christ, but that life was meaningless, as Solomon points out throughout his dissertation (Ecclesiastes) on the pursuits of worldly solutions to the whole in our being. His conclusion is found in Ecclesiastes 12:13, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all.”
I have created an acronym from the word ALIVE to embody the goal of truly being alive in Christ and plan to present lessons over the first several Sundays of 2023 to illustrate the purpose each serves in making us truly ALIVE in Christ. A=Active…we cannot sit on the sidelines and be idle but must be actively engaged in the work of the Kingdom. L=Loving…love is at the very heart of all that a Christian is and should be the chief motivator of all we do. I=Inviting…all Christian to share in the mission of growing the Kingdom, and we should all be active in inviting others to explore the truth of God’s word in order to discover the salvation He offers. V=Venturesome…now here is a word you don’t use every day. Venturesome, by definition, is a willingness to take risks or embark on difficult or unusual courses of action. For the purpose of this acronym, it is basically a call for Christians to get out of their comfort zone and engage in works of the Church that in the past they have avoided, perhaps due to a lack of confidence, knowledge, opportunity, etc. E=Enduring…as we set out to be ALIVE in Christ, we cannot allow our resolve to wane and to fall back into inactivity.
There will be obstacles, there will be setbacks, and there will be times of self-disappointment, but we cannot allow such to end our resolve and bring our journey of growth to an end. Paul reminds us in Ephesians 2:10 of the result of staying the course and being truly ALIVE in Christ. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Let each of us resolve to allow the Master Craftsman to shape us each into vessels full of the good works He desires us to be vigorously engaged in.
In 2023 let us all strive to grow in our faith and obedience to God. Let us truly become ALIVE in Christ. This is not a journey you need to take alone. If you would like to join like-minded Christians in the pursuit of being ALIVE in Christ, then I invite you to visit the Main Street Church of Christ as we launch out in 2023 with the ultimate goal of arriving at ‘None of Self and All of Thee.’ The Christians of Main Street Church of Christ meet Sunday morning at 9:30 for a time of study and 10:30 for a time of worship. We also meet for a time of study on Wednesday evenings at 7:00. There are many other opportunities for individuals of all ages to meet and study, strengthen, and encourage one another as we set our sights on higher, nobler things…such as monthly teen devotionals, weekly ladies’ class, monthly men’s breakfast, annual Bible camp, and many others. All these serve to strengthen and edify the Body of Christ so that we might be prepared for every good work.
I pray that God blesses you this new year, but most of all that your relationship with Him will grow and prosper.
(Carl Hartman is the Minister at Main Street Church of Christ in Lockney)
