I was listening to a sermon on New Year’s Day where the preacher asked how many had made New Year’s resolutions. Almost every hand went up. Then he asked, “How many of you have already broken them?” I would say more than half the hands went up and it was only Jan. 1!
Making changes in our lives is often difficult. Yet all of us want to grow in our walk with Jesus. So how to make this happen?
There are many places in Scripture where we are encouraged to become more like our leader, Jesus. Here are just a few texts from the New Living Translation which extol us to be more like Jesus:
- I John 2:6 “Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.”
- I Cor. 11:1 “And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.”
- Eph. 5:1-2 “Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.”
One of the most common questions asked me as a pastor is “How do I gain victory in my life?” My one-word answer to this question has always been “Grace!”
One of the passages I used to love to hear my father preach from was Titus 2:11-14. It says:
“For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good” (NIV).
When you read this passage, all you can say is that grace is even more amazing than we thought! Not only did it appear and bring us salvation, it also teaches us to say “No” to those things we want to rid our lives from. How does grace do that?
A sweeping lesson
When I was in grade school, we lived in Charlotte, North Carolina. We had a very large cement patio at our house. It made for a great basketball court, but it also collected all kinds of debris and leaves. Mom always wanted it swept on Fridays for the Sabbath. It was a big chore and one we took turns doing.
I remember one wintry Friday the patio was a mess and it was somebody else’s turn to sweep it but they were away on a trip. I had braced myself to have a strong argument with my mother that I should not have to sweep the patio since it wasn’t my turn. I kept waiting for her to come and confront me, but she never did. Instead, in addition to her very long list of things to do before Sabbath, she just put on her coat, grabbed a broom, and went out to sweep the patio herself.
When I saw what she had done, it broke my heart. I went and grabbed my coat and a broom and went out to help her.
What happened to change my mind? It was the grace she showed me. Even though I really should have been the one doing this onerous task, she was doing it herself. Rom. 2:4 says, “Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?” My mother’s kindness—yes, grace—changed my heart and mind and I was moved to do better.
The most powerful influence for good you have in your life is to let the Holy Spirit come into your heart and remind you of how good God has been to you, and let His grace teach you to live a godly life as you joyfully journey with your Savior.
