CHALLENGE FOR 2018 - PHILIPPIANS 3:12-14 (J.B. PHILLIPS)

CHALLENGE FOR 2018

PHILIPPIANS 3:12-14 (J.B. PHILLIPS)

Yet, my brothers, I do not consider myself 

to have “arrived”, spiritually, 

nor do I consider myself already perfect. 

But I keep going on, grasping ever more firmly

 that purpose for which Christ grasped me. 

My brothers, I do not consider myself 

to have fully grasped it even now. 

But I do concentrate on this: I leave the past behind and with hands outstretched to whatever lies ahead 

I go straight for the goal—my reward 

the honour of being called by God in Christ.

The year 2017 saw many sad days for Susan and Susie. We each saw loved ones graduate to Heaven seemingly too soon. Susie’s great-niece was only thirty and Susan’s second cousin only thirty-five. A friend’s daughter who had cerebral palsy was freed from her earth-suit on December 2nd at the age of only eighteen. Susan’s Grannie Slade went to be with her Lord on December 1^st. Her granddad spent Christmas Eve morning in the emergency room, and her aunt is in the ER as we write this.  One of Susie’s relatives broke her hip on Christmas Eve. Susan had her own ER visit in early December. Yes, we had sorrow in 2017. However, we also had great joy as we completed Susan’s first book, A Life’s Symphony of Joy, and received a donation of the first 100 copies printed at no charge to us! We celebrated one year of being a non-profit corporation in the state of Texas and had our first group of people committed to make monthly donations to Precious Jewels Ministries. We had the opportunity to speak at Freedom Church in Bedford in the Spring. Thanks to a dear friend at our church who has a van equipped to take the power chair, Susan has been able to attend church without going in an ambulance on a gurney for the first time since 2011. Yes, the Lord richly blessed us in 2017.

Now we are on the cusp of a brand-new year, 52 weeks, 365¼ days. Our past sorrows need to be laid aside, and we cannot sit back and bask in our past joys. We must move forward as the Lord leads us. He has called us to minister and to serve. Those of us who know the Lord must continually be moving forward to fulfill the purposes for which He chose us. We are on this earth to bring glory to the name of Jesus by loving and serving one another and spreading the Good News of salvation purchased on the cross by Jesus and by the grace of God. Each day of this new year is another opportunity to “press on” toward the goal of serving Jesus here and eventually forever in the place He is preparing for us (John 14). May our “New Year’s Resolution” be to live each day to the fullest by serving the Lord completely, not only making a difference in a specific incidence but by being a difference in the lives of others.