Monday Morning Jolt
January 23, 2012

New beginnings make new endings!
The Challenge
Romans 13:11-14

Paul encourages each of us in the verses just prior to today’s passage (8-10) to love; to “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Sound simple? So how are you doing with that in these first three weeks of the New Year? Love is the foundational motivate and principle for all of the areas of our life. Love, in the power of the Holy Spirit, is what makes a difference in our lives. Love also allows us to see ourselves as we are and see what God sees: a sinner, forgiven by God’s Grace through the work of Jesus Christ. God sees the gifts that He has bestowed upon us blooming and being used for His kingdom. God sees His precious child being transformed into a living sacrifice by the renewing of our minds.

As you look over the past year(s) as a Christian think about the miraculous things that God has done in your life. What? You can’t think of one? How about the things as simple, yet profoundly miraculous, as waking up this morning; or taking a breath of the oxygen around you; or the recovery from an illness or surgery; or the miraculous completion of a task or challenge; or a change in a behavior or attitude; or the special support or encouragement you received from someone? Yes, I know that these are simple examples, and yet any time that God does something in your life… that’s a miracle! God has gifted you and has made a difference in you and through you for His kingdom!

There are also many areas in each of our lives that need a little work; work by the Holy Spirit. As you assess this past year can you identify areas where you have strayed away from God’s mission, or areas that you never followed through on, or where you’ve let someone down… areas that need an adjustment or even to let go of? Making adjustments are so hard, however if we don’t make adjustments or changes then we won’t grow or be effective in our life’s mission. And that’s the challenge for today… if we want to make this year more effective than our past, then you and I are going to have to do some things differently.

God encourages us through Paul’s instruction to the believers in the church at Rome when he writes that believers are to first “understand the present time” and continue to love (vv8-11). He calls us to assess the times, which includes every aspect of our life and circumstance. So, remember who you are: you are His restored child alive and in His care at this time and place. In that understanding, you are to “wake up” the passion of your salvation - right here, right now because time is short (vv11-12). In your awakening “put off” (abandon) your old self and “put on the armor of light” and make godly adjustments (vv12-13) in your life. And in everything then “clothe (adorn) yourselves in the Lord Jesus Christ” (14). In this commitment you will be constantly transforming and God will use you all along the way for the sake of His Kingdom. Now that’s miraculous!

God sees you… not only as you are today but as who you are becoming. As His child, in the coming year He sees you engaged in someone’s life; taking advantage of opportunities to listen and share with people; He sees you making a godly difference as you surrender to His leading and begin to do things differently in your spiritual life. Change is difficult at times. So keep this in mind as you determine your priorities for 2012 - changing what you do will not change who you are; but changing who you are will change what you do.

Let me encourage you this week to see what God sees… what He can do in your life. Don’t wait any longer; make the necessary adjustment in your life, in the leading and power of the Holy Spirit, so that your life will be different this year. You are a precious miracle happening!

Pastor Dwayne