So 2012 is finally here and we all are excited to be a part of it. I don’t know about you but this is definitely one year that I looked forward to with greater eagerness and anticipation. The more I think about it, the more I realize that the eagerness with which I entered 2012 is unparalleled even by the that which which I entered the new millennium. Being me, I have taken a few minutes to think about why but then resolved not to pursue the thought further lest I be robbed of the time and energy needed to invest both in my life and that of others this year. Important thing is, we are all here now and I’m sure you know by now that it is definitely a year that holds a lot of promise.
Setting goals and deadlines is probably one of the things that you have done as you move into 2012 and I encourage that. I have set some myself and continue to review them as I walk with the Lord and heed his leading in my life day and night. All those goals and promises that are held by this year will only mean anything to those who take the time to “come up higher”. I sense the Lord inviting us all to draw closer to him and seek his face more than ever before as we yield to the call that He has given us both to glory and virtue (excellence) – 2 Peter 1:3. For a long time we have all heeded the call to glory to the neglect of the call to virtue but in 2012 it is important for us to understand that the extent to which we radiate glory is determined by the degree of virtue (his virtue) that we possess.
The question I have for you then is this: How diligent are you in your pursuit of virtue? “We live by faith”, you say. And that is very true and biblical yet at the same time, the deposit of faith that we receive freely grows incredibly as we strive to grow in virtue with the obvious result being a greater reflection of God’s glory. 2 Corinthians 3:18. You probably know by now that we are not saved just so that we can go to heaven. The more I dig deeper into the truths of God’s word, the more I see that we are saved to grow in virtue which is why Peter encourages us in his second epistle to make every effort to grow in virtue – 2 Peter 1:5-8. By the grace of God we shall spend some time reflecting on what that entails in the weeks ahead but before I leave you today I encourage you to catch up with this truth if you have not already done so.
- In the past we were “predestined to be conformed to the image of dear son” Romans 8:29
- In the present we are “being transformed into the very same image” as we “reflect his glory as in a mirror” 2 Corinthians 3:18
- In the future we shall “be like him for we shall see him as he is” 1 John 3:2
This is the very essence of our lives beloved. Growing in virtue is all about becoming more like Christ and that is the purpose of God’s work in you and I. “God loves you just the way you are, but he refuses to leave you that way. He wants you to be just like Jesus” (Max Lucado). How well have you cooperated with that work thus far? How cooperative are you right now? And how integrated is that overall purpose in your goals for 2012?
Be encouraged! All else will follow when first things are placed in their rightful place. Growing in virtue and Christ-likeness deserves first place in your life in 2012 and beyond.
So heed the invitation and come up higher!
Journey with Della 