St Paul Church

Pastor’s Message

January 2012

The apostle Paul writes in Philippians 3:13,14: Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Together we come to the end of one year and we begin a new year together. Often times the end of the year means the opportunity for reflection and with the new year we take some time to dream.

I think the apostle Paul has the right balance … he acknowledges the past … recognizing his imperfections, recognizing that he is not perfect. We can all do that. But Paul says that he is going to forget what is behind him. How often do we really do that? As I come through this Christmas season I think of some of the traditions I have had over the last 20 years and how some had to change this year because we moved. It would have been easy to not change … to try and hold on to the past, but that isn’t really what God wants for us.

We are called to strain toward what is ahead … to press on toward the goal … to win the prize for which God has called us heavenward. It is time to get our priorities in-line with God’s plan for our lives … because our tendency is to go with our desires and ask God to bless them and make them His desires for us. When we do that, we can pretty much justify anything.

Paul addresses this very same thing later in verses 18 and 19: “For as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame, their mind is on earthly things.”

Powerful words … challenging words that should help us start the new year focused on God and His kingdom and His priorities. I’m not real good at New Years’ resolutions, but I know that I want to challenge myself to grow in my faith. I recognize that in the life cycle of many plants there are periods of dormancy … periods of rest … but all with the purpose of growth.

I look forward to 2012 and what God wants to teach me as I yield to His will and direction … my prayer for you is that you look at your own life and ask God to reveal to you what you need to let go of in your past and where He wants you to press on for His kingdom and His glory. When we do that we will be blessed because we are following God’s priorities.

God bless you in this new year ~

Pastor Scott

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