The Way: Recalibrating

In the last edition of The Way, I told the story of my friend Isaac who needed to recalibrate the scope on his rifle. I ended it by encouraging both yourself and myself to recalibrate our scopes, or our view of Jesus. This year my hope is to spend each one of these focusing in on the life of Christ or on his significance to us. So let's get started.

Colossians 1:15-23: "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

"And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister."

I don't know about you, but this is one of my favorite passages. Take some time today and just sit and meditate on these words. I would write more, but how could I possibly add to the depth and richness of this passage. Allow these words to soak in and never forget that in everything Christ is preeminent.

"May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheirance of the saints in light" (Colossians 1:11-12).

-Trace

The Way: :00

Three...two...one...Happy New Year! I'm sure anybody reading this spent their last night of last decade hearing those words, which is a sobering thought. In a sports analogy, the is :00 left on the '00s game clock. Pause and think about that. Only ten years ago, the whole world was worried about Y2K and the computer's crashing. This has been a great decade. We have seen highs of human compassion and lows of human depravity, especially nine years ago. I still remember where I was when I heard that two planes had crashed into the World Trade Center and that a third plane crashed into the Pentagon. That is a moment that I will never forget. There have been many moments that I will never forget from this decade. In many ways I feel like thirty-forty years from now, I will look back on the '00s as my decade just as my parents look back on the '80s. I think the scariest thing though is looking toward the end of this decade. Well, only because I'll be 30, but that's a story for another time.

In all actuality and seriousness though, I'm sitting here in our new house on the first day of the first year of a new decade. We are all surrounded by so much new. So what are you going to do with it? I don't know what this past decade was like for you. I don't know how this past year ended for you. But I do know that you and I have a great opportunity in front of us. We have a blank slate. I hope everyone had a great decade/year. If you didn't, then leave it behind in '09. If you did, leave it behind in '09. In this new year and new decade, we have an opportunity to further God's kingdom and our own walk with Christ. If you have, then keep going. Don't grow complacent. Leave your success behind in '09 and "press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:14). If you haven't, then "press on toward the goal." The ushering in of the '10s serves as a clarion call to all of us.

During his last sermon, my pastor from home, Trevor Carpenter, told this story: He was out hunting with some friends. While sitting out in the blind, one guy, my friend Isaac, dropped his gun. He picked it up and thought nothing of it. Finally, a deer came out of the brush (for those of y'all in North Texas, we don't have trees here in South Texas). Isaac took aim, fired, and missed. Everyone started ribbing him and making fun of him, because he missed. He shook it off, because he knew what the real problem was. When he had dropped his gun, he screwed up his sight. So, he recalibrated his scope and was ready to go.

In many ways, we are like my friend Isaac. Life happens. Trouble comes. Bad things happen. Disappointment happens. Failure happens, and we drop our gun. We try to just pick it back up and keep going like nothing happened. But our scopes are off line. Then, we are faced with a choice. We have a decision to make. Do we keep going or do we take the time to recalibrate our scope? My prayer for you is that you take the time to recalibrate your scope on Christ. That no matter what has happened or is happening you take this chance that the '10s are bringing to us and you use it to refocus on what matters most. Maybe, you are already planning on doing that. If so, that's great. Maybe, you have even made resolutions about it. I know I have. If you are wanting to, but don't know where to start, then join me in mine. The great Jonathan Edwards, pastor during the First Great Awakening, once laid out seventy resolutions which he reflected on every week to make sure that he was striving to attain them. This new year/decade I am going to join Jonathan Edwards in his resolutions and his reflection on them. If you would like to check them out, go to http://www.apuritansmind.com/ChristianWalk/ResolutionsOfJonathanEdwards.htm. But whether you use them or have your own or don't like resolutions, take this fresh start. Leave everything behind in '09, and focus everything on Christ in the '10s.

"The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you" (2 Tim. 4:22)

-Trace

P.S. Happy New Year!