Faithful

The holidays are over. Many of you have taken down the Christmas decorations. The rest of you are in process. The bowl games are over, FINALLY, all 35 of them! Some of us remember when there were only a handful of bowl games, and only 4 that really mattered: The Sugar Bowl, The Cotton Bowl, The Rose Bowl, and The Orange Bowl. Back then the names did not come with any sponsorship attached.

Now, it is impossible to have a bowl game without a sponsor. This begs the question; to what would you want to attach your name? Forget bowl games and sporting events. What act, character trait, and way of life would you want your name linked with?

As we begin the New Year we look for some guiding thought or principle to see us through, an anthem or motto for 2012. What would yours be?

One of the best indicators for the future is behavior in the past. I know, exactly what you didn’t want to hear. Some of us had less than stellar years in 2011. We would prefer to chart a new and different course leaving our failures and shortcomings behind.

Maybe a better way to look at it would be to ask, “Who would sponsor you?” Yep, just like those bowl games.  For 2011 who would your sponsor have been? You’re still thinking about it not being a stellar year aren’t you? You may be thinking of a failed marriage, or poor financial decisions. You may be thinking of the times you lost your temper or the times you refused to forgive others when they lost theirs.  You may be thinking of the commitments and promises you left unfulfilled. Who would want to sponsor that? It’s hard to get a sponsor for a product that seems to be lacking in value or character isn’t it?

Yet, I know who was begging to sponsor you in 2011, who wanted to sign his name across the whole year of your life, every incident. Jesus Christ was there for you, even the times you didn’t want him to know what you were doing. Even though you may consider 2011 a failure, he has already asked to sign on for 2012. Of course, he wants you to sign on as well; after all, this is a covenant. The Scriptures tell us he is faithful in all situations.

And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful [is] he that calls you, who also will do [it]. (I Thessalonians 5:23-24).

He will do it, not through your hard work and effort, not through your righteousness, but through his own; because only his work, his effort, and his righteousness are up to the task.

Remember, you enter the New Year, I pray, as a follower of Jesus Christ, a Christian. Carry his name proudly.

Pastor Craig