2018 is almost in the books and 2019 is just around the corner. Many of us will be celebrating with friends and loved ones this evening as we ring in the new year. In the midst of all the fun and celebration, it is important to take time to reflect on all that happened this past year. The successes and failures. The joys and concerns. The pleasure and pain. How did we grow? What milestones did we achieve? What trauma and tragedy were we able to survive? How are we different now than a year ago? What’s changed? What’s remained the same? What are we looking forward to? What fears do we need to face?
If you are like me, you will make some resolutions. You will resolve to live a healthier life. You will exercise more. Eat better. Rest well. Those are good resolutations. You will resolve to be emotionally healthy. You will practice forgiveness. Set boundaries. Extend more grace. You will resolve to grow intellectually. Read more books. Listen to more podcasts. Educate yourself in the ways of the world. What about your spiritual life? What resolutions will you make to grow in your relationship with God?
Many surveys have been done through the years by groups like Barna and Lifeway Research and they yield the same results. The number one thing you can do to grow spiritually is to read and reflect on God’s Word every single day. Reading the Bible will challenge you. Frustrate you. Upset you. Confront you. Comfort you. And bless you. It will elicit all kinds of questions. It will raise all kinds of doubts. It may even bring to light all kinds of fears. At the same time, it will offer you peace and hope and fill your life with an unspeakable joy that cannot be quenched. It will inspire you and draw you close to God in ways nothing else can.
This past year, a couple of hundred folks read through the Bible in a year together. Some of us were able to finish, others are still on the journey. Still others dropped out along the way. Building a discipline of daily reading and reflection is not easy but it is worth every effort! Let me encourage you to join us in 2019 as we re-engage the Bible. It doesn’t matter if it’s your first time through or your fiftieth. It doesn’t matter if you are able to finish the year or not. It doesn’t matter if you get ahead or fall behind. What matters is you building the spiritual discipline of listening for God’s voice as He speaks to you through His Word. God blesses ANY amount of time we spend with Him so do all you can to make 2019 a great year of spiritual growth in your life.