How Start, How Finish

Life is filled with starts and finishes.  How we start the day, how we finish the day.  How we start the job, how we finish the job.  How we start the marriage, how we finish the marriage. There are seasons, times to sow and times to reap, according to Ecclesiastes.  The difference maker is how we start and how we finish.  Consider Jesus in how we start this new year.

Jesus became a baby in the midst of physical humbleness but with heavenly glory, angels appearing, shepherds responding to the message that a savior has been born, and three kings from the east recognizing the supreme ruler of the universe.  He began with the witness of God. 

Jesus finished strong by freely laying His life down for mankind in the midst of extreme physical torment and ridicule, but with the witness of the prophetic Word of God.  He fulfilled the Scriptures and trusted God to raise Him up.  He descended into hell, but the devil had nothing in Him to hold Him, so by the power of the Spirit He was able to take the keys (authority over mankind) from Satan and demonstrate God's triumphant victory over sin, sickness, and death by His resurrection.  He finished with the witness of God.  

Jesus, who now lives in us by the power of the Holy Spirit, enables us to demonstrate this same triumphant victory in our daily lives.  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.  We can start the day (Psalm 92:2) declaring that by the fresh mercy of God we stand whole and complete in Him.  Likewise, at the end of the day, we can finish by acknowledging the faithfulness of God in helping us through the day. Psalm 92:4 continues with the promise "I will triumph in the work of Your hands."  All that is needed to walk together with God is to agree with Him (Amos 3:3) in our heart and by our words. 

As we began the new year, many people make resolutions and wishful plans; however, the truth is these only prove that we know changes are needed and rarely produce results.  God has a better way to start the year that does glorify Him and produce lasting results.  

God does honor, according to His Word, two specific resolutions.  One is a commitment, that whether we live or die, we aim to be well pleasing to Him (2 Corinthians 5:9).  It is a heart desire and a fresh dependence upon the Spirit "to will and to work for His pleasure" as we obey His promptings.  In short, to obey what He tells you to do. 

Secondly, we commit, as Paul prayed in Philippians 3, to press on to the goal of knowing God, "that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead."  The challenge is to die to fleshly desires of the old man and put on the new man created in His image and holiness.  As we allow the Spirit to establish His truth and a greater desire to know Him in our hearts, we can fulfill 2 Corinthians 4:11, "For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh."  Each situation provides an opportunity to know God and the power of His resurrection as we choose life in obeying His way and put to death our selfish desires of the flesh.  

Therefore, how we start the day, start the relationship, start the job, start the year, depends upon our humble attitude.  We acknowledge our need to trust and depend upon God to help us walk in the Spirit and to give us strength to obey.  Just as Jesus, because of the joy set before Him willingly endured the cross," we purpose to put the joy of knowing Him and pleasing Him greater treasure than doing things our own way.    

A Better Way to Die?

When I was a young boy and the cold war was predominate in the news, I dreamed of being lined up by the Communist firing squad and asked "Do you believe in God?"  To which I would say, "yes," and instantly be shot and die for the Lord.  However, it didn't happen.   Gradually God revealed to me that there is a better way to die for Him, and it is not a one time event.  He who loses his life for My sake will find it. 

 We "lose our life" every time we let go of our own thoughts, our emotions, and our wants. Usually this requires a sacrifice of our time and something we hold dear (consider Abraham laying down his own son on the altar).   Sometimes at funerals we use Scriptures like Psalm 115:16, "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints."  However, much more than when we physically die, it is precious in His sight each time we die to our own "rights" and selfish nature.  Seek to please Him first.  

God is infinitely pleased with every choice and action in which we deny ourselves and bless others.  The one who was faithful in investing the talents given is the one  to whom the master said, "Well done."   You will not lose your reward for even a cup of water!  In 1 Peter 3: 9 the Holy Spirit reminds us that we are called "to bless that we might receive the blessing."  Notice what Jesus points out in the parable of the sheep and the goats, "what you do to others, you do to Me." 

When we take time to draw near to God and begin worshipping Him, He inhabits our praises and allows His perfect love to fill our hearts and His truth to transform our minds, so our only honest response is to willingly lay down our life.  The meaning of worship is to bow down and freely give ourselves in service before the Almighty.  The Lord takes such great joy in seeing  us humbly lay down our life, that He gives grace and the fresh enabling power of the Spirit to do what He asks.  Romans 8:13 further promises, "If by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the flesh, you will live. 

Choose life.  Choose to die to the flesh.  Choose to surrender your thoughts, your emotions, and your wants in order to open up to His infinite thoughts, to have HIs heart and emotions, and to do His perfect will.  This is the better way to die: to lose your life, and find His life.  You are precious in God's sight each time you choose to die to yourself and live for Him.