This Week #18 (1-4-04)

 A New Year

            Now that the 2004 is here, we have to make a few decisions. That is not unusual because life consists in making one decision after another. I was reminded of that this past week while our ski team was rehearsing for the Winter Olympics. There are all kinds of hills one can choose and some are bumpier than others. The one chosen will make all the difference in the outcome.

            So it is with our Spiritual lives. All of us will make a choice or two this year in relationship to which “hill” we will climb, or which route downward we will take. The Scripture says, . . .if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor: yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. In this passage in Philippians, Paul is taking about the hard choice between his desire to continue his work or depart for Heaven which he thought far better. But I think it means more than that as well. His choice to remain in the labor of llove would produce fruit both of new life in Christ through his faithful witness and the saving power of the cross, and continued conformity to Christ of his own life because of his commitment to maturing in the Truth.

            We are faced with the same challenge today. We can coast down the easy slope toward the end of this life, or we can find challenging new ways to climb the mountains and ride out the valleys with faith and hope. There is no doubt that one will be easier than the other. And, some will choose the easy course. Others will recognize that our production is valuable beyond measure in both this life and the one to come when we are gathered with our Lord.

            Make your decisions with the Truth in mind that whatever we choose will determine the journey. The journey lies before us. Let’s choose wisely.

© Weaver 2004

© Weaver 2003