(by Lorie Codispoti)
I make resolutions all year long, so while the beginning of each new year brings with it hopeful desires, I see it as a marker on the timeline of my life. While some people may feel strangely uncomfortable when they glance at the blank squares on a new calendar, I like to look at each one with a heart of expectancy.
This mindset, however, is an acquired skill that continues to challenge this natured selfaholic.
I could easily fill my calendar with all the things that make me feel accomplished. And while there is nothing wrong with the desire to accomplish every task on my list, I must remind myself to seek & surrender that list, as well as myself, to my Father’s agenda for each day. The assignment is His, therefore the results at the end of the day will be more rewarding than if I am the author.
My husband opened the new year with a message he preached on Psalm 90 - the chapter where the author asks God to “teach us to number our days…” (vs.12). He reminded believers that we are sojourners whose citizenship does not reside in the land we’ve been called to as ambassadors.
His challenge was no different than those of James & Peter, who encourage us to live sanctified lives set apart to Christ. Numbering our days - being purposeful about filling each empty box - is how we navigate a new calendar year.
We are currently working our way through the book of Ephesians & it’s no coincidence that this week’s message complimented his challenge on living a purposeful, productive, & effective life.
In Ephesians 4 we read Paul’s exhortation to unity through the gifts God dispenses to the believers in each church. We’re not given gifts so that we can hoard them or fill our days with self-serving goals. Verses 12-16 explain that these gifts are given to us “for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry…” (vs.12). The implementation of these gifts, in turn, “…causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.” (Vs.16b). We are to fill our calendar with the administration of these gifts.
I feel the need to insert an important caveat to my point here.
We once attended a church who put so much emphasis on “service” to one another that if this was not your specific motivational gift you were looked down on & even chastised for what was deemed a less-than approach to loving one another.
I say that to warn all of us: If we are not purposeful about our primary purpose in life - to know God & make Him known, ("The chief end of man is to glorify God & to enjoy Him forever." Westminster Catechism) our goals, no matter how selfless they may appear to look & feel, will become more & more futile as time passes. You see, if we forget to prioritize our relationship with God, then our “service” to Him can turn us into selfaholics whose daily goal becomes more about getting our fix than it is on producing the fruits of righteousness that draw others to Christ.
So, how do we “number our days” as Psalm 90:12 encourages?
Maybe start by applying the first verse of that chapter: “Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.”
If you haven’t already, I encourage you to make a lifelong resolution to superimpose dwelling in the presence of God onto each day of your calendar year.
We glorify God with our desire to know & enjoy Him. And by enjoying our time with Him we will see clearly how to fill our days with service to one another - service that will knit us together as we fill our days with productive purpose. It’s the only kind of goal that will fill the end of each day the same way it started - in the restful & satisfying presence of the God, who loved us before He created time & who will love us long after today's calendar becomes tomorrow's record of our life & how we spent it.
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