This year can be a year like no other year. For each one of us 2022 can be a year of new beginnings, new blessings and new breakthroughs. This year can be the most fulfilling, fruitful and far reaching year of your life. This can be the year when the prayers of many years are answered when God suddenly breaks into our lives, families, churches and nations with great mercy, miracles and multiplication. The best way to prepare for this year is to start as we mean to go on. Just as you never get a second chance to make a first impression, so too we should take this opportunity to start this year with the best foundation.
We cannot foresee every opportunity or challenge that lies ahead but we can be sure that God is faithful to all His promises and that we can be more than conquerors through Christ who loves us and has called us to His kingdom. At the start of this year we should take some time to consecrate and dedicate ourselves to God. Joshua told the Israelites to do just that for he knew that God was about to do amazing things as they advanced into the land of Promise.
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Is God really first place in every area of your life? God was there right at the start of life and the universe (Genesis 1:1). Everything in creation followed on from that. The blessings of life, the blessings of nature, the blessings of rest, the blessings of relationship with God and between a man and a woman. What you believe about the beginnings of our world is crucial. Get it wrong here then you get it wrong everywhere. If you believe in creation, then you have can have faith that God has a purpose for His world, that He is capable of creating order out of chaos, that people are made in the image of God and that each life must be respected and treated well in accordance with God’s character and laws. If, however you believe in evolution, then there are no absolute moral laws and no God to be accountable to. Life is a rat race where only the toughest survive, a series of random events and a limited existence where you have no hope beyond this life. ‘In the beginning God’ means that God must be at the centre of our worldview and we are to worship Him above all the gods of this world (money, power, fame, sex, sport and success). It means that God is our first love (Matthew 22:36-40). Practically that we put God first at the beginning of each day, which is why a habit of praying and Bible reading at the start of each day is so important. We put God first at the beginning of each decision (Proverbs 3:5-6) and first at the beginning of each relationship (of courtship, marriage and family life). Marrying the right person God has for you is so important (e.g. Abraham who focussed on getting a wife for his son who really loved God). At the start of this year take some time to evaluate how you may need to realign your life so that you really do put God first in every area. This will set you up for the rest of the year and the rest of your life.
Is God your first love or do you need to rediscover your first love for God at the beginning of this new year? The disciples in Ephesus were commended for many things that they got right (Revelation 2:1-7). God saw that there were many faithful and hardworking Christians in this church. Year by year they kept on serving God without growing weary. This church was functioning well in many ways but at heart it had lost its love for God and His kingdom, like a marriage with no romance. The first love had disappeared. This is a very dangerous situation for any marriage and any church. We can see how far this church had fallen when we read what the first love of the Ephesian Christians was really like. For first love involves a personal experience with the Holy Spirit. In Acts 19:1-7 we read about 12 disciples who understood the importance of repentance and believing in Jesus but who needed to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Every Christian needs to be baptised with the Holy Spirit and to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit. But how much Holy Spirit do you have right now? First love means we keep living in partnership with the Holy Spirit and also first love is always passionate to spread the gospel (Acts 19:10). When you truly love Jesus, you want to tell everyone how Jesus can change them. And our world desperately needs to know this. At the start of this year let’s ask God to give us all a new passion to share the good news at all times to all people (in homes, shops, our neighbourhood, the streets, at work and leisure, and in our travels). Evangelism isn’t a programme. It’s a passion that comes from the heart. We love to tell of the love of Jesus because we are overflowing with His love. And first love pays a price (Acts 19:18-20). The apostle Paul was even ready to put his life on the line. Real Christians commit all they have to Jesus: time, talents, cash and care for others. First love is always generous and sacrificial. First love perseveres: Paul was continually teaching God’s word and forming leaders (Acts 20:20). First love never stops loving or serving and always means being a close follower of Jesus who wins and trains others to follow Him too. At the start of this year let’s evaluate if we have the love for Christ and His church that we once had. And if we don’t then let’s honestly repent and turn back to loving with all your heart and soul and strength (Deuteronomy 6:5).
Are you committed this year to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness? This command of Jesus comes with a promise that if we get our priorities right here then ‘everything else will be added to you’ (Matthew 6:33). In other words, if we look after God’s business, He will look after ours. God’s business is seeing His righteous kingdom expanded on earth as it is in heaven. Jesus came not only to save our souls and build His church but also to establish His new world order of living right with God and our fellow human beings. Jesus constantly taught about the kingdom of God or the Kingdom of heaven. His message was not just for some parts of life but all parts of life. The rule of God is to extend from our hearts to transform the worlds of family life, education, business, government, media, religion and culture. A true follower of Jesus is not called to focus on building their own Kingdom and pursuing their own interests but rather to seek first to promote God’s kingdom of light in a world of darkness. Whatever else you may do in life, whatever career you may have, your primary calling as a Christian is always to be an ambassador for Christ faithfully representing Him and His teaching. You may be a business leader but first as part of your lifestyle you must always seek to lead people to God and make disciples. You may be in a position of influence, but at all times you need to use your influence to shape your world for good and for God. You may make good money but above all be sure to use your money for good to support your family, spread the gospel, build the church, help the needy and change society. At a time when so many people in so many places and professions use every opportunity to passionately promote their ideologies, every Christian needs to wake up and rise up to advance Christ’s kingdom. So we are at a new moment in time that is passing fast. Thank God for all the blessings of the past but today commit to building a better tomorrow by putting God first, returning to your first love and seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.