Reset for 2023

We do it just about every New Year; as the time counts down the expiring year, we look to make some sort of resolution to be or do better, in one way or another, in the New Year that’s in front of us. We sift ourselves, seeking the things we would like to change and committing to resolve the differences by committing to an action plan that we know we will likely surrender in only a week or so.
Let face it; how often do we succeed when it comes to our New Year’s resolutions? The truth is that out of the 38.5% of American adults that set New Year’s resolutions, 23% quit in the first week, and only 36% make it past the first month. The success rate is even more dismal in that only 9% successfully keep their New Year’s resolutions from start to finish.
Research reveals that the main reason for failure is that most people aim too high and make lofty goals. Accompanied by this is the fact that many people focus on several areas of their lives that they wish to improve upon instead of concentrating on one specific need for change. As a result, the task at hand becomes difficult to attain and people lose their motivation to continue their quest.
There is an expression that implies that it is easier to turn a ship a few degrees over an extended period of time than it is to turn suddenly, ‘on a dime’. Maybe there is some truth to this when it comes to making hard changes to the course of life. There are some good examples in the Bible where people became great influences in God’s kingdom and saw significant change in their walk of faith.
Moses is viewed as one of the most influential figures in all of God’s Word. His role as God’s instrument in Israel’s deliverance from the bondage of Egypt places Moses as the patriarch for the Hebrew Law of the Old Testament. Well, the truth about Moses is that he really didn’t want much to do with the notion of freeing Israel nor leading them to the Promise Land. Out of Exodus, chapters 3 and 4, He argued with God about his qualifications, saying he was a ‘nobody’; that he didn’t know how to answer Pharaoh or the Hebrew people and doubted that they would listen to him. Moses even tried to back out by saying that he wasn’t an “eloquent” or elaborate speaker, eventually telling God to find someone else. Needless to say, that did not sit well with the Lord.
Moses did submit to the will of God, which led to great achievements in his life. Even though there were many times when the Israelites complained and even rebelled against his leadership, Moses was steadfast and faithful to his calling. He did lead the Jews out of bondage, to the threshold of the Promise Land, as well as receiving the Ten Commandments and transcribing much of the Old Testament Law.
This all took place over the course of Moses’ life, taking one step at a time, while allowing God to grow and develop him into the person that the Lord wanted him to be. Additionally, this process increased the faith of Moses to rely on God to provide for his needs and the needs of the Hebrew people. Though it did not happen in a day or two, the transformation that Moses experienced did withstand his entire lifetime.
When taking inventory during the New Year ritual of making resolutions, I want to challenge each of us to take a good look at where we are and see the need regarding where we need to be and allow God the freedom to call us to change the way he sees fit in order to make us the best for service to His Kingdom.

Beloved Church Family,
On behalf of Debbie, Stephen, Elizabeth and I, we would like to express our sincerest thanks for the thoughtful Christmas gifts and cards expressing the love of the people of the Bangor Church of the Nazarene. We count ourselves extremely blessed to be your pastoral family and love you dearly. We hope and pray that the Christmas season and New Year is prosperous for you and your families.
The Williams Family