Below is a kernel of truth which emerged while reflecting on 2024 and looking ahead to 2025 on New Year’s Eve. May the Father of Lord Jesus Christ help us yield afresh to the Holy Spirit, who passionately seeks to transform us into the like-character of the Son of God to a greater depth in 2025:
There is a glory that can follow success and a glory that can follow failure. The “glory of God” is found in seeking him in both triumph and adversity. We are called to be transformed from “glory to glory” (2 Cor.3:17-18). The Christian’s call is clustered around the continuous growth in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ to combat callousness and complacency (2 Peter 3:18). The enemy of “glorifying God” in our beliefs, our behavior and our affections is passivity. Our past failures or limitations can become to daunting to overcome; or our successes lull us into a slumber of a prideful contentment.
The Father’s grace is what enables us to progress in holy purpose, which is allowing the entire person to be apprehended by God for greater works in and through us to benefit those around us.
In 2025, will we press on to know the LORD and make him known? I believe each of us will! Stop at the New Year, get in a quiet place of humility and look and listen for Jesus to speak deep into your heart. This “pause” may take an hour, a day or a week, but it will set the pace for a new season of the pursuit of God and fruitfulness!
Let’s Stop and Go!