Spiritual Healthy Goals
Read
John 14:15-17 (ESV)
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.”
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.”
Reflect
This New Year, how can you resolve to love God more and obey His commands?
Happy New Year! Despite all of the challenges of the past two years, if you are reading this then you have been blessed to see another year. What are you planning to do with this gift? Do you have any resolutions for 2022?
Getting healthier is the most common New Year’s Resolution. Many people pledge to eat healthier, exercise more, and lose weight. But what about your spiritual health? What about spiritual fitness? Getting physically healthy is important, sure. But it is temporary. In 1 Timothy 4:8, Paul wrote: “For while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the one to come.” In other words, physical health is only of value here and now, but spiritual health is valuable now and forever.
If I were to set a goal to get into better spiritual shape, my goal would say “To know and love Jesus more and to become more like Him.” If you followed along with us as we studied Jesus’ life the past couple of months, I hope it has resulted in you knowing Jesus more which in turn has increased your love for Him. In today’s verses, Jesus said that those who love Him obey His commands.
If you are a parent, you understand this. Nothing is more disheartening than to have your kids say, “I love you” but then continue to disobey you at every opportunity. You understand that the greatest expression of love your children could give to you is to obey your rules because they are for their own good. Employers also experience this frustration when their employees say “Ok, boss” to their faces but then turn around and disregard their orders.
In Luke 6:46, Jesus said, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord’ and not do what I tell you?” In other words, why do we call Jesus our Master and our God if we don’t follow His orders? Why do we call ourselves Christians if we aren’t seeking to follow Christ?
Friends, this New Year, I pray that you resolve to make Your spiritual fitness a priority. I pray that you would know Him more, which leads to loving Him more, which leads to increased obedience. The more time we spend with Him, the more like Him we become.
But be encouraged. You do not have to do this on your own. In today’s verses, Jesus said that He will send us a Helper who will be with us forever. This Helper is the Holy Spirit! We have been given God’s Spirit! He resides in all believers forever. Jesus called the Holy Spirit “the Spirit of truth.” Jesus elaborated on the work of the Holy Spirit in John 16:7-15. In John 16:13, Jesus said, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.”
As you make plans and set goals for the New Year, pray. Commit to spending time in the Word and in prayer. Ask the Holy Spirit for help and guidance. Our spiritual fitness should be our number one priority. But we don’t have to go it alone. We have a Helper.
Happy New Year! Despite all of the challenges of the past two years, if you are reading this then you have been blessed to see another year. What are you planning to do with this gift? Do you have any resolutions for 2022?
Getting healthier is the most common New Year’s Resolution. Many people pledge to eat healthier, exercise more, and lose weight. But what about your spiritual health? What about spiritual fitness? Getting physically healthy is important, sure. But it is temporary. In 1 Timothy 4:8, Paul wrote: “For while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the one to come.” In other words, physical health is only of value here and now, but spiritual health is valuable now and forever.
If I were to set a goal to get into better spiritual shape, my goal would say “To know and love Jesus more and to become more like Him.” If you followed along with us as we studied Jesus’ life the past couple of months, I hope it has resulted in you knowing Jesus more which in turn has increased your love for Him. In today’s verses, Jesus said that those who love Him obey His commands.
If you are a parent, you understand this. Nothing is more disheartening than to have your kids say, “I love you” but then continue to disobey you at every opportunity. You understand that the greatest expression of love your children could give to you is to obey your rules because they are for their own good. Employers also experience this frustration when their employees say “Ok, boss” to their faces but then turn around and disregard their orders.
In Luke 6:46, Jesus said, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord’ and not do what I tell you?” In other words, why do we call Jesus our Master and our God if we don’t follow His orders? Why do we call ourselves Christians if we aren’t seeking to follow Christ?
Friends, this New Year, I pray that you resolve to make Your spiritual fitness a priority. I pray that you would know Him more, which leads to loving Him more, which leads to increased obedience. The more time we spend with Him, the more like Him we become.
But be encouraged. You do not have to do this on your own. In today’s verses, Jesus said that He will send us a Helper who will be with us forever. This Helper is the Holy Spirit! We have been given God’s Spirit! He resides in all believers forever. Jesus called the Holy Spirit “the Spirit of truth.” Jesus elaborated on the work of the Holy Spirit in John 16:7-15. In John 16:13, Jesus said, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.”
As you make plans and set goals for the New Year, pray. Commit to spending time in the Word and in prayer. Ask the Holy Spirit for help and guidance. Our spiritual fitness should be our number one priority. But we don’t have to go it alone. We have a Helper.
Pray
Lord, thank You for another New Year. As I make my plans and set my goals, keep my focus on You. By the power of Your Spirit, guide me in truth and strengthen my resolve to know You more. May I be more like You at the end of 2022 than I am today. May I continually demonstrate my love for You by obeying Your Word. Amen.