I want to know Christ. Philippians 3:10

            I recently came across this quote, “No one can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending” (Author unknown). Stop and think about that statement a moment. The conclusion has to be that we don’t start over; but we begin again right where we are, making things better in our lives.

            As a believer in Christ, it’s not about making some kind of New Year’s resolution saying, ‘I will do this’ and ‘I won’t do that’ and then dropping the idea or falling short as we break yet one more resolution.  But it’s got to be more about asking the Lord to help us each day to fall deeper and deeper in love with Him. This way our focus will be set on the things of heaven and not on all this earthly stuff.

            When the Apostle Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians and said, I want to know Christ, that wasn’t a New Year’s Resolution.  That was his “every day” resolution.  His desire every day was to know Christ better in all His glory.          

            If I were to make a New Year resolution, it would be to have a deeper commitment, a deeper love, and a deeper worship for the Lord.  This past Sunday, when we looked at Colossians 1:15-20, we came to a greater understanding who the Christ child that we celebrate, really is.  Our conclusion was that He is everything we would ever need because all the fullness of God is in Him.  Rather than trying to better ourselves to make ourselves feel better, Jesus is saying:

“I am more than enough. I am more than enough in every area of your life.” 

            This year, I am personally determined to make Him my all and all. He wants our undivided attention in spite of the distractions and temptations that lie waiting around the corner. We have no idea what this next year holds and, for the most part, we can’t control it. That’s why Jesus must be our main focus. How we will end this year will be determined by how we started it. 

            God sent His Son into the world because He wants to have a relationship with us.  Not only a relationship, but an intimate relationship.  The dictionary says ‘intimacy’ means to be close, familiar, very personal and private.  Do you have that with Christ? If you feel stagnate in your relationship with the Lord, then now would be a good time to rekindle the love affair with Him. He calls us to Himself and says, “Come away my beloved.” (Song of Solomon 8:14).  Can you hear Him? 

            The real ending in our life will be when Jesus says well done my good and faithful servant. That statement will be for someone who took the time to get to know Him, love Him, and that obediently followed Him.  This year, rather than a New Year’s resolution, let’s make a daily resolution: “I want to know Christ.”