Walking into and in 2022

If you’ve spent any time at my other blog (www.lifeandmiles.com), you may have noticed that I have written on more than one occasion on setting goals, New Year’s resolutions, and such. This year, I chose not to write about those things. But, I didn’t make that decision because I am not still setting goals and making plans for 2022.  On the contrary, I am probably working harder at doing so than in any previous year.  But I’m also aware that with 2022 is now here, and with the realities of a Covid and divided world still staring at us, I don’t want to become so focused on my goals that I neglect the more important priorities.

That’s my intent and purpose in this kick-off of the “Life and Grace” blog. I hope my writings on the other side have reflected my beliefs as a follower of Christ.  It is my desire to glorify Christ in all areas of my life, and a blog that fails to do so is a failure on my part.  But here in Life and Grace, I want to be intentionally biblical and write and spend time on matters specifically related to my relationship with our Savior.

With that in mind, let’s talk. In 2022, I have a desire and a need to see improvements in certain areas of my life. These are not New Year’s resolutions. These are not goals. Resolutions and goals are generally viewed as things that I desire to achieve, and things that can generally be done in the strength of the flesh. To the contrary, these are things that I cannot do. These are changes that can only come about by a renewing work of Christ in my life. These are changes that can only come about through sanctification by the Holy Spirit.  It is true that God calls on me to exercise obedience, but this is His work in me, not my work in myself.

It’s not “self-help”.  It’s divine work by a risen Savior in the life of his children.  It is a work He desires to do if I will submit to him and get out of the way.  Does it require a degree of effort and participation on my part?  Absolutely.  Can I do it alone?  Absolutely not.

First, I desire to walk in holiness and to live each day in a manner that seeks to glorify Christ and to obey God’s command to be holy. This is not sinless perfection.  There is no such thing. But it is a walk that seeks to avoid sin and runs from the temptation that bring about sin.

First, I have a greater desire to walk in holiness.

“How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. 3 He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.” (Psalms 1:1-3 NASB)

God commands us to be holy, just as He is holy. It cannot be done in our own strength. It is my desire to submit to the leadership of the Holy Spirit in a greater and more consistent manner than I have in the past.

Second, I want to deal more kindly to those I come into contact with. As believers, we should be characterized by kindness. This kindness is not our natural behavior. It is part of the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22) Whether it’s the grocery clerk, the bank teller, a member of my family or church, I have a biblical command to demonstrate kindness. I pray that God will strengthen me in this area in 2022.

Next, I want to be generous and bless others wherever and whenever God gives me an opportunity. Obviously, this begins with my local church where I have a biblical admonition to give. (1 Corinthians 16:2). But God will undoubtably bring opportunities in our lives to glorify him by helping his children (Psalms 41:1-2).

“Do not neglect hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.” (Hebrews 13:2 NASB)

Also, there is a strong need for me to be less critical. It’s so easy to find fault in others. And some of us (translated as “me”) are too quick to point out the faults of others. Jesus warned us to be careful of complaining about a speck in the eye of others while ignoring the log in our own eye. Is that true of you? It often is of me.

I, Frank Spires, need to be less judgmental of others. This does not mean that I need to turn a blind eye to sin or that I should neglect  to hold a brother accountable. I would expect them to do the same for me. But it does mean that I need to be careful to judge the motives and intents of others, especially when I am guilty of some of the same things for which I wrongly judge someone else.

The next one is a hard one. As a matter of fact, it’s impossible. But I want to show more patience in 2022. I want to be more understanding when others don’t meet my expectations or when I feel like others create an inconvenience for me. As I said, it’s impossible for me, but not for God. Patience is also an aspect of the fruit of the Spirit. I pray that He will do this work in my life in 2022.

These are only a few of the areas where I desire to see improvements in my walk with Christ in 2022. No doubt there are others. And as I read through this, it seems a bit overwhelming, until I realize it’s not my work. As I stated earlier, it’s a work of the Holy Spirit. It’s up to me to seek to walk in the Spirit through prayer and study and meditation on God’s Word on a daily basis. As I seek God’s will, He can and will strengthen me as he makes me more and more in the image of His Son. It’s a matter of obedience and trust.

I need to live my life each day, not in my strength, but in the strength of our Lord. Then these changes will begin to take place. How about you? Are there things that you need to trust God to change in your life? I pray that you and I will both seek better things in 2022 for His Glory.

We’ll talk again soon. In the meantime, be blessed. May Christ be glorified in our lives.

(Please check out our other blog at https://lifeandmiles.com/)