Reflections
I have never quite known what to do with New Year’s. When I was a child growing up in southern California, the thing to do was to attend the watch night service at the church and then go camp out on the parade route of the Rose Bowl Parade that would occur the next morning. By the time I was old enough to join the overnight sidewalk campers my family had moved to Canada. Over the years I have attended many services and parties. But I am never quite sure what I should be celebrating.
This New Year’s Eve my family went on a fun outing to celebrate the day and to make some memories. As we approached the end of December 31st, we found ourselves immersed in a vast crowd of people who were gathering to celebrate the New Year. Some were drinking heavily. There were all manner of noise makers and animated conversations. We witnessed the full rainbow of emotions among the people from laughter to anger. In the crowded streets were people who appeared to be celebrating because they were expected to but who were not exhibiting much joy. As I looked on all the party goers that evening, I wondered how many of them actually had experienced a year worth celebrating and how many were genuinely excited about the onset of 2008. I suspect there are many who regularly celebrate the dawning of the New Year but then the ensuing year is merely identical to all the previous ones.
It made me wonder what the grounds for celebrating a New Year ought to be. I suspect it has little to do with the clichés, platitudes and resolutions people invariably express on New Year’s Eve and far more to do with God’s activity. Reflecting on last year I must ask, did I experience more of God’s love and power this year than I did the previous year? Did God use my life in greater ways than He had before? Did my life make a greater difference for God’s kingdom this year? If so, then I have much to celebrate. If not, then maybe a party is uncalled for. I am certainly not against enjoying a good party, but I have found that the best parties occur when you have good reason to celebrate. I hope you did.
Scriptures
I have been meditating recently on a verse that has been deeply impacting me. In John 15:2 Jesus said, “. . . every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” I must admit that I have generally focused on Jesus’ earlier statement when He said those branches that do not bear fruit, He takes away. There have been numerous discussions about what that means. But it is what Jesus said next that has been challenging me.
Jesus indicated that when people obey God and allow the Holy Spirit to produce spiritual fruit in them, their reward is more pruning. As I have meditated on this I have had to acknowledge that this does not at first glance, seem fair to me. In my humanness, I assume that when I allow the Spirit to produce spiritual fruit in my life that I should be rewarded, or at least have my life made more comfortable. But that is not what God does.
God knows we are always one good pruning away from producing even more spiritual fruit. He is never content to leave us where we are. Have you ever wondered why some of the strongest Christians you know undergo severe trials? Have you watched a dear saint suffering terrible loss or grief and wondered why God was allowing one of His faithful children to suffer so much? Perhaps you are presently undergoing hardship and wondering why God has rewarded you thus when you have been faithful to Him.
I believe God allows suffering in our lives because He knows it is the only way to prune us from those things that hold us back from producing more fruit. Have you ever asked yourself the question: What would God need to remove from my life for me to produce more spiritual fruit? There is always something. Sin, left untouched at the deepest levels of our lives robs us of the fruit God could have produced in us. So the Spirit relentlessly searches it out. Unfortunately some of the deepest sin cannot be displaced by a light drizzle of heavenly rain. Rather, to shake us free from sin’s impediments, God must sometimes deluge us with difficult circumstances until we are finally freed from that which has been holding us back.
The questions I have faced as a result of this are:
- How much am I willing to undergo for God to prune me of what is presently holding me back from serving Him with all my heart?
- Would I recognize it if God were pruning me? (or would I assume I was experiencing spiritual warfare?).
- What would have to be removed from my life before I could be of greater service to God?
As you enter a new year, these may be good questions for you to ask of yourself as well.
Reading
Over the Christmas break I have been reading several books. One is a Christian classic by J. Gregory Mantle entitled, Beyond Humiliation. It was written in 1895 with the original title, The Way of the Cross. It provides a compelling analysis of humanity’s constant struggle with self centeredness. It is definitely worthy of a careful read. I also read Lucy Kavaler’s book entitled, The Astors: A Family Chronicle of Pomp and Power. It traces the Astor family from John Jacob Astor who arrived in New York City in 1894 with five English pounds in his pocket and marshaled it into the largest fortune in America to his descendents in the mid 1960s. Astor devised a brilliant method of passing down his wealth to the future generations. His legacy to his descendants was wealth and property. It is fascinating to see what such a legacy produced in his offspring. It certainly challenges me to consider what I am passing on to the generations who follow me.
Posted by Richard Blackaby at 9:34 am