A NEW BEGINNING (2)   #277

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Good Morning, Meetpastordan Readers… Happy New Year to Y’all! Isn’t it wonderful to have a new beginning? January 1, 2019 represents the beginning of a new era, and just the thought of being able to start over with a clean slate is inspirational for all of us. For many, it’s about making a New Year’s resolution to visit the gym regularly; for others it’s about changing eating, drinking, gambling, or shopping habits. In our mind we can see a new person, a thinner, more healthy person, who has faced some serious demons and won the battle. But unfortunately, the statistics to support this mindset isn’t encouraging. Depending where you look, by January 14^th, the drop off rate is anywhere from 20%-31%; by January 21^st, 32%-56%; and by January 28^th, 57%-86%. So what’s the problem? Everyone wants a second, sixth, or possibly even a twelfth chance at a new life, but the truth is…IT’S REALLY HARD!

From a worldly perspective, there is a plethora of self-help books and methods to enhance our ability to become the person we want to be. We hear about breathing exercises, yoga, focus groups, the power of positive thinking, and we’re even encouraged to tap into the universal consciousness (whatever that is) to help us reach our full potential. But from the beginning of time man has wrestled with his inability to rise above “self”, because our human nature is drawn to things that pleasure us, exalt us, or things that titillate our emotions…whether they’re good for us or not. I would like to propose that, contrary to worldly thinking, becoming aware of our own insufficiency is the first step in the process of becoming the person we were created to be. (More on that later.)

In my previous life, I like to refer to that time as my BS period (before sobriety and before salvation), I was always searching for “that something” to flip my switch. I became a workaholic. I turned to achievements and accomplishments, to alcohol and drugs, to women, cars, and to more and more material things. And truth be told, they all worked for a while, but eventually I had to keep going back to get that elusive “fix” again and again. Unfortunately, that “thing” I was looking for was always just beyond my reach, so I tried harder, more often, and was willing to do whatever I had to do to get what I wanted. That mindset and behavior set up my downfall in April of 2000.

Thankfully my BS period is behind me and today my identity is in Christ. While the previous New Year’s resolutions that were tackled by my “old self” were defined by frustration and defeat, my resolution this year is the same as it has been for the past few years: “Holy Spirit, help me to seek first the Kingdom of Heaven, and help me to get out of the way so You can work through me.” My self-help book today is not a book filled with worldly perspective, but a Book filled with God’s perspective. In this Book I have found everything I need for living a Godly life, and for becoming the Masterpiece referenced in Ephesians 2:10. When I am immersed in that zone, I have the confidence, joy, peace and serenity that we had always been searching for, but here-to-fore had been looking in all the wrong places. I gotta tell ya…there’s nothing like this “new creation!’

But the good news is found in Romans 12 2-3: “Do not conform to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by changing the way you think. Then you will know how good, pleasing and perfect God’s will really is for your life.” The topic for my AA meeting this morning was “A New Beginning”, and the testimonies about each of our transformations was nothing short of staggering. And virtually everyone credited God and his loving kindness for their successful journey. I love this because it brings to life the truth found in Jeremiah 29:13: “If you seek Me you will find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.” No doubt God met each one of his broken creations when they called on his name. For almost all of these recreations, this first step opened the door for a deeper and more meaningful relationship with God.

All of us were at one time utterly helpless to rise above self-indulgence, consequently we were in desperate need of a Savior. None of us came into this world spiritually connected to God, so we all became the sum-total of the choices we made.  For some the answer came in a state of brokenness, when we were face to face with our own insufficiency and we had no place else to turn other than to cry out, “God help me!” For others the answer came in the form of an epiphany. But whatever the reason, we came to the realization that our best efforts were failing us. Suddenly the thought of “something greater than ourselves” became a welcomed answer. (That’s Step II in the twelve step recovery program. But AA is not a religious organization, so they do not define “higher power”. AA does, however, understand the necessity of planting seeds.) I wish I could say that everyone found Jesus Christ to be their higher power, but the fact is, not all have done that. I’ve concluded that all I can do is pray for revelation in the hearts and minds of those who are still seeking, and consciously let the light of Jesus shine through me.

But those of us who are in Christ know that we have found the one true higher power. Neil Anderson states in “Victory Over the Darkness” that God’s plan for our life is two-fold. First, He wants us to accept His Gift of Grace (Jesus Christ as Savior). Secondly, He wants us to grow more Christ-like in that relationship.

For those of us in that process right now, we understand that our secret weapon is the Holy Spirit, a gift given to us by God so we can now become the person He created us to be. (Ref. Ephesians 2:10 again) The Holy Spirit is our comforter, our guide, our teacher who will lead us into all truth. When called upon, He will empower us with His wisdom, courage, strength, insight, patience, perseverance, eyes to see, ears to hear, whatever it is we need to overcome our trials and tribulations in a way that brings honor and glory to God. When we do this, we are bringing to life the truth found in James 4:10: “When we come humbly before the Lord and admit our dependence on him, he will lift us up and give us honor.” We know we have been lifted up by the confidence, joy, peace and serenity that comes from being a follower of Jesus Christ.

So back to A New Beginning. My prayer is that 2019 will be the best year ever for all my readers. And if you are not in Christ, I challenge you to pick up the Holy Bible and start reading in the Gospel of John. Let the truth found in that Book transform you. Once the seeds of truth start to sprout, you will become a new creation, much like a butterfly coming out of the cocoon. Once you’ve been set free, just like the butterfly, you will experience the blessings of no longer being a worm.

Feel free to respond to this posting, and please “like” and share with other social media friends.

May God Bless Ya,

Dan Presgrave (a.k.a. Pastor Dan)