Rev. Reed Lee Pedersen's
Too often it seems New Year’s resolutions start with self-hate:
What do you not like about yourself? (Body? Personality? Job? Friends?) Now change it. While this may work for some people, it usually winds up meaning busy gyms, better attitudes, and a new job search for the first two weeks of January. This is then followed by a week of feeling down about failing the resolutions and 49 weeks of forgetting you even had one. The New Year’s Resolution that I think we be more helpful for this coming year is to invest. More importantly and specifically, invest in God’s love. Investing in God’s love does not mean having faith in Jesus. This resolution is actually for those who already have faith in Jesus the Christ. This is for those who, like the shepherds and wise men, understand the all-powerful and all-saving Jesus. If you believe in Jesus and believe what he has done for us through the cross and resurrection then my challenge would be to invest in that love. Why? Because if you believe in God’s all-powerful love then you know the returns on that love are out of this world (some might say, “Heavenly”). What does it mean to invest in God’s love? When I say invest I do not mean only money. Investing connotes devoting time, energy, and effort towards God’s unfailing love. This is done through prayer, meditation, fasting, worship, reading the Bible, and any other spiritual practice that brings you closer to God. This means investing in Jesus’ commission to love our neighbors as he loved us (John 13:34). This means investing in ourselves too, because God loves us as individuals, too (Romans 5:8). God loves you so much he sent his Son to die for you. God loves everyone around you so much that he sent his Son to die for them too. Try investing in that love a little more this year. This means focusing more time towards God and others. This is a resolution that does not seek to belittle or demean. It is a resolution with the reward of getting to be with God and help others. May God bring you peace, blessings, and presence in 2019!!!! Points to Ponder:
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AuthorPastor Reed is a first call pastor at Augustana Lutheran Church in Andover, Illinois. Archives
July 2019
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