So how are your New Year’s resolutions going? You know, those commitments everybody made a few weeks ago that they’re already trying to forget about? My guess is that, if you’re anything like the rest of us, your vision of the future probably isn’t a reality quite yet.

How do I know this? Because life never goes as planned. Just as you are gathering the courage to go on that mission trip, a family member will suddenly take ill and need a caretaker. The very month in which you plan to increase your giving will always be the month that the car breaks down, and spending more time with God is a lot harder when your boss asks you to take on an extra shift.  Life happens, and it usually does so at the most inopportune times.

“But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.”

          -Genesis 50:20

The worst part of it all is that many of us become so discouraged when things don’t go our way that we give up on change altogether. Just because you’re struggling with reading through the Bible in a year is no reason to quit studying the Scriptures, nor is a rocky start to your diet an excuse for another year of unhealthy living. As David Brinkley once said, “A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him.” By giving up in the face of adversity, we’re actually losing out on the opportunity for growth that far surpasses what we could have planned with a pen and paper.

Maybe life has thrown quite a few bricks at you over these last four weeks. Maybe “successful” is the last work you would use to describe the month of January, and you don’t yet see any silver linings or light at the end of the tunnel. If this is you, don’t be discouraged by the obstacles you’ve encountered. Instead, learn to view every hardship as an opportunity for growth and realize that God’s plans for you are far more significant than your own. What you may view only as another brick to dodge, God may see as building material.

“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:”

               -1 Peter 3:15

I’m someone who enjoys debate. Not that I enjoy disagreeing with another person over trivial issues, but, especially when it comes to God and the Bible, I always welcome the opportunity to defend what I believe. An ability to defend the Faith is one of the most important skills a Christian should have, not only because it deepens his personal understanding of spiritual things, but because it enables him to be used by God in revealing these things to others.

Of course no person, however knowledgeable of the Scriptures, is able to impart saving faith to another (Rom. 2:4). We can preach night and day of justification and propitiation, and yet there will always be those who disagree with us regardless of how plainly the truth is presented (1 Cor. 2:14). I’ve met professed-Christians through the blogosphere who hate what I have to say about salvation, yet will contradict me without the use of even a single Scripture and  insist that everybody goes to heaven. It’s during these times that discernment must be exercised so we are able to avoid fruitless conversations with a person who simply refuses to see the light (Matt. 7:6). Certainly God may lay it upon our hearts to continue reasoning with them for a time, but at some point we must redirect our energy toward reaching those truly hungry for truth.

The key, as Peter wrote, to being a successful defender of the Faith is not a huge reservoir of head knowledge. Yes, knowledge undoubtedly helps, but it doesn’t save people. Before all else, we must “sanctify the Lord God in our heart’s”, knowing that our efforts to evangelize are vain if we have not first presented ourselves as living sacrifices before the only One Who can reveal the Father in all His fullness (Matt. 11:27; Col. 2:9). Once we have Him working in us and through us, the task of reaching people for the Kingdom suddenly gets a lot easier.

Perhaps there’s someone you’d love to reach for Christ, but your words just don’t seem to be getting through. This might be because you’re too close to them, like the father who shares Christ with his rebellious son every time they meet but to no avail, or because you are trying to sell them a faith that you yourself have neglected. Pray about what your next step should be and be prepared to respond to God’s direction. Whether it’s to continue defending your faith to that person or simply cultivate it through prayer and fasting, God knows how to make us most effective in His service.

I played this song in church yesterday and thought I’d share it with you guys. It’s probably one of my new favorite songs to play on guitar, easy to learn and easy to sing.

I’m a big fan of devotional books. Perhaps it’s just something about the 40-day format that intrigues me, but each time I’ve read a devotional like this it always ends up becoming a new favorite of mine. Author Jerry MacGregor could easily have ruined this book with legalism and false doctrines, yet instead was able to very well illustrate the need for both grace and personal discipline in one’s life.

Each day MacGregor focuses on one important aspect of the Christian life. Early on, practices such as prayer and Scripture memorization are introduced, being punctuated by a daily challenge that forces you to enact the truths you just studied. As the book progresses these challenges seem to become more and more creative, though it would honestly be difficult to complete all 40 of them. Perhaps the most challenging one I can remember came on day 12: “Sit down and read one of the gospels in its entirety.” Obviously this is an achievable goal, but is certainly not for everybody.

All in all I consider this book to have been worthwhile investment of my time and hope to read it again someday. If you’re looking for spiritual growth throughout this new year (and I hope you are!), then definitely think about moving this title near the top of your reading list. It held my attention for a full 40 days, which, especially in our fast-paced and electronic age, is not an easy task. It won’t change your life, but can help lead you to the One Who can.

My Rating: 5/5 Stars

Disclaimer: I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review and all expressed opinions are my own.

“Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow…”

             -James 4:14

Can you believe the holidays are almost over? It seems like just a few short weeks ago that we were carving turkeys and putting up Christmas lights, yet my calendar tells me that the old year has just ended and a new one just begun. 2012, now officially upon us, offers us a fresh start at things we may have done less than succeed at in 2011.

I typically don’t make an official list of resolutions for the New Year, but I do of course have a few things I’d like to improve on throughout the months ahead. Things like buying a car and graduating were fairly simple goals for me to come up with, whereas some soul-searching was required to realize the areas that need changing on a much deeper, spiritual level. Add my name to the list of Christians determined to pray more, study harder, and live a godlier life this year than ever before.

What changes have you slated for 2012? Regardless of what goals you’ve set, let me encourage you to take proactive steps toward making that happen. Do you want to get in shape? Then sign up for a 5k run in August. Do you want to start praying more? Then turn off your computer and go pray. As simple as it may sound, changing something in your life requires actually changing something in your life! You can’t expect to do the same things you’ve always done and get closer to God or lose weight; a positive change requires decisions to be made and action to be taken.

The mistake we often make with New Year’s resolutions is in believing they are one-time decisions – something we commit to once and then can simply watch for the results. If you’re really serious about accomplishing something, however, then it’s probably a commitment you’ll have to renew at least 366 times throughout the coming year¹. Tomorrow when you wake up, the will to improve your relationships or get out of debt won’t greet you with a morning kiss; you’ll have to again remind yourself of just how much change is truly needed and pray for the strength to make progress in your war against complacency.

Tomorrow is a day which always holds the best intentions, yet never does any good because it’s always 24 hours away. The worst mistake you could make next to discarding your resolutions altogether is to put off making a difference until tomorrow. Decide now to fulfill the resolutions you talked about yesterday and make 2012 a year to remember, not for failed attempts, but for fulfilled commitments. This could be your best year yet and it starts today.

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¹ It’s leap year.