Have you caught the vision for 2010 yet? By now you've already made your New Year's resolutions and hopefully you're off to a good start. But have you fervently prayed about how you can actively pursue a closer relationship with God? How can you grow spiritually in 2010? Who will you reach? With whom will you share the love of Christ? What will you do this year that will have an everlasting effect?
We recently discussed how our vision for 2010 was to "make as many disciples of Christ as we can, as fast as we can, in as many ways as we can, in as many places as we can, for as long as we can." Have you given much thought to how you would help the church to execute this goal? Your help is vital, but first things first.
In order to be effective for Christ we need to focus on Christ. If we aren't careful, our spiritual eyesight can become blurred or even misdirected so that we no longer have a clear view of the Savior. One symptom of this out-of-focus living is arguments between believers over non-essentials, preferences, and secondary issues that are not central to our primary mission. It is only when we become focused on Christ that we can carry out the Great Commission and fulfill our true purpose.
How is your focus? Is it fixed on something that doesn't really matter, something that holds no eternal value? Are there people passing by you every day who are in danger of plunging into the abyss but you are too busy with some non-issue to give them words of eternal life? Or maybe you've been trying to improve your focus, but you need help to make it better. We must bring Christ plainly into view so that our love and devotion will become centered on Him. Unless we make it our highest priority to "... love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind" (Matt. 22:37), we will not be focused on the right things, and our ministries will lack passion and be ineffective.
Just focus on Christ. Allow yourself to be consumed by His sacrificial, overwhelming love. Rest in the assurance of His abounding grace and mercy. Reflect on His many blessings. Praise Him for His promises and provision. When we bask in His glory we will inevitably come to the point where we can no longer hold it in. We will be compelled to share the love of Christ with our neighbors, just as we were commanded to do. In order to make as many disciples of Christ as we can, as fast as we can, in as many ways as we can, in as many places as we can, for as long as we can, we must make sure our focus is on the one who saves!
So, again ... have you caught the vision for 2010? Do you see how and where you can be used to win souls for Christ? Are you focused on Christ? You have the ability to make an everlasting effect on each soul that you come into contact with. Focus on the eternal. Yield yourself to the Lord and allow Him to use you in whatever capacity He needs.
