When it comes to New Year’s Resolutions, it is probably safe to say that the easiest ones to break are the ones that require a streak of some sort. We always start out with the most sincere intentions until reality strikes.
Resolving to eat nutritious food and exercise every day is greeted by a sudden illness which throws everything out of the window. A desire to quit smoking is ended after a really stressful day. Your Bible reading plan brings you to the second half of Exodus, a book that begins with so much excitement and drama yet seems to end with a verbal Ikea manual, and suddenly, you stop.
As a church, we began the year with the goal of pursuing Scripture memory. It is good to store up God’s word in our hearts that we might not sin against him(Ps. 119:11). It is beneficial to let the word of Christ dwell in you richly (Col. 3:16). It’s a command of God himself to lay up his words in your heart and your soul (Deut. 11:18).
But as I write this, it is now the middle of February, and it’s a good time to check in with yourself on these things. Am I active or passive in my walk with the Lord? Have I been seeking him? Do I still desire to know God the way I did when the year began?
One of the remarkable things about engaging in regular exercise is that it brings about near-permanent changes. What I mean is that if you have spent time doing something like running or weight training and end up missing training for a time, you retain more of the gains than you would expect. Returning to the gym is never starting back at zero, unless your time away was the result of a traumatic injury.
In the spiritual gym, what some call the habitus, it is very much the same. Consistency in prayer and scripture changes you, and it changes you for good. Coming back to it after a time away is never starting at zero because God has not left you.
If you have been consistent with these practices this year, then I encourage you to keep going. It will only get better and become more and more natural as the Holy Spirit works his word into your heart.
But if this has been a stop-start year; if you started strong but have fallen behind; if you are approaching the end of winter wondering if it will ever be warm again; you don’t have to start at the beginning. Pick up where you left off. Choose a new Bible book to read and to get really familiar with. Pick one Bible verse to meditate on and memorise. Seek the Lord while it is still today.
Notices
Tuesday Night Prayer will be in person in the church Side Hall at 7:30pm. Join us for a great time of worship and fellowship as we pray for each other, the church, and the world.