Starting over

Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? Galatians 3:3 (NIV)

Beginning a new year is pretty exciting as I think about it. It can be like hitting the reset button on a video game on which I’ve not scored as well as I’d like to have, while keeping the high score from the previous game. Sure, there is the some lingering sense of frustration or perhaps even failure, but outweighing all that is the excitement of trying to do better; that expectation that this time is really going to be awesome and that somehow, I’m going to make a Kingdom impact.

As I look back at the past year, I recall so many great adventures, wonderful friendships, incredible milestones; it’s difficult to categorize which meant the most. I also see missed opportunities and disappointing outcomes, many of which I can only attribute to my own failure to follow through and finish. Too many times I can see, in retrospect, those uncompleted projects and missions were not completed because I took too much ownership in them instead of making them God sized projects.

Long before there were do-over’s, resets, handicaps, mulligan’s, there was Grace. I thank God everyday for that Amazing Grace which gives me the opportunity to pick up the pieces of my sinful life and broken self and move forward in confidence and expectation of a heavenly reward for faithfulness in Christ Jesus, being lead by the Spirit.

Bless you brothers, live this day (and the rest of the year) in peace, in His Word.

Jerry M. Gill