Faith or Fear

Beginning of a new year. Thoughts begin to coalesce around resolutions, or at the very least, a few goals and aims for 2014.

You too?

We all face a choice. Step into the new year full of courage and faith, trusting in God, or creep into it apprehensive of what each day might bring.

It sounds like a no-brainer. Who wants to creep through life half-alive? And yet that is the choice we so often make, unconsciously perhaps.

So for me, I'm going to deliberately put my hand into the hand of Jesus every morning and prayerfully step out in faith.

There is no room for fear in love. Perfect love drives fear away, and Jesus is that perfect love.

At the foot of the Cross

God commands that we have no idols before him, but people and situations which are on our minds and hearts often squeeze him off the throne of our lives and out of focus. 

At the start of this new year, it’s so refreshing to take some time with God and prayerfully picture Jesus on the cross. He hung on that cross out of choice, out of love for you and me and the creation. He could have avoided it. He could have called on his legions of angels, or just spoken a word which would have wiped out his enemies forever. But he didn’t. He allowed his blood to be shed so that it could cleanse, heal and restore all who call on his name and put their trust in him.

As you imagine Jesus on the cross, see yourself, bent over with the burden of the concerns you carry. The people who are close to you. Situations of financial need, health concerns, relationship issues, job insecurities, fears for the future, etc. The list is endless for most of us. One by one, lay each burden at the foot of the cross, and see the blood of Jesus covering those people, those concerns. 

Allow him to restore freedom in your life. Freedom to laugh and rejoice in him. Freedom to entrust all these precious people and serious situations into his loving hands.

And then let him arise again in your heart. He is alive! Invite him to fill you again with his Holy Spirit. And step forward into the world with a spring in your step and a song in your heart, a song of praise to the King.

Let your focus be fixed again on King Jesus, and run the race set before you with perseverance.

That’s my plan for 2013. With his grace I might just manage. Blessings.