But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until the full day. Proverbs 4:18

God has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). Psalm 119 tells us that the entrance of God’s Word brings light (119:130a). So, to get where God wants us to be, it’s important to pull out the owner’s manual, the Bible, and read the instructions.

We must keep ourselves filled with the Word of God and keep our spirits sensitive to the Holy Spirit by daily surrendering our lives to God’s plan. This requires us to deal with offenses and make constant adjustments to lay down things that don’t please God. Don’t get overwhelmed! Even small changes produce big results.

My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your sight; keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those who find them and health to all their body. Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life. Proverbs 4:20-23

Don’t let your purpose be thwarted by bumps in the road. Clear off your spiritual windshield so that you can see things the way God does. You have a heavenly Father who delivers on a very profound level. He gave His Son. Meditate on that for a while. If God can cleanse you of sin and save you for all of eternity, He can certainly cover every other deal in your life.

The rubber-meets-the-road part of this letter is that I believe God wants to use you in the upcoming days to impact others. You aren’t just striving to be a “nice Christian”—the goal is to reflect who Jesus truly is so that your message to the world is clear. You might be the only Bible some people read. Make it your goal to please God and finish strong. Cast your worries on Him (1 Peter 5:7).

He can stabilize any situation. You are more than a conqueror through Jesus Christ (Romans 8:37). With man it may be impossible, but with God all things are possible (Mark 10:27). He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that you can ask or think (Ephesians 3:20). So trust Him. Stop looking in the rearview mirror at past mistakes and step forward into the great big beautiful plans God has for you. The best is yet to come!

Happy New Year!

Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright © 2008 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you,
along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other,
just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:31-32

God has called us to follow Christ’s example: He showed His great love and died for us when we were still stuck in our sin. Consider the parable Jesus told of the king who forgave his servant an enormous debt, but then that servant still demanded payment of a small debt from another man. When we don’t forgive, we are forgetting about the huge debt of sin Jesus forgave (Matthew 18:21-35).

Choose to be governed by love instead of bitterness. “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma” (Ephesians 5:1-2). It’s easy to justify resentment, but it will hinder the quality and progress of your walk. Don’t wait around for someone else to do all the repenting—be quick to forgive.

Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a

We can’t afford bitterness. This is a new season and the church is being called upon to reach a world that is shaking off complacency and asking to know God. Choose to unhitch your wagon from offenses one more time, and open your heart to God. When you get up in the morning, meditate on verses about walking in love. On the other side of this obedience you’ll experience advancement and greater effectiveness.

Love never fails!

Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright © 2008 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.