Dear E-Flash Friends;
Happy New Year!!!
Hope your celebration was safe and enjoyable. Mine was relatively low key although we did shoot off some fireworks and attracted a small crowd of neighbors from my sister-in-law's condo group. I tried to take advantage of the gathering to preach a brief sermon, but at that point the group dispersed quickly, muttering unnecessary comments under their breath.
The last book that I read for 2007--I literally finished it last night, just before the fireworks--is titled "The Art of Learning", written by Josh Waitzkin. Josh was an eight time national chess champion in his youth. A child prodigy, Josh was the subject of the book and, later the movie, titled "Searching For Bobby Fischer". Then Josh took up the martial arts, in his late teens, and has won over 20 national championships and several world championship titles. This extraordinary young man has competed at world class levels in two completely different disciplines. That's remarkable.
Although I don't endorse everything that Josh writes in his book, here was one of many thoughts that I found inspiring: "The fact of the matter is that there will be nothing learned from any challenge in which we don't try our hardest. Growth comes at the point of resistance. We learn by pushing ourselves and finding what really lies at the outer reaches of our abilities."
Growth and learning will require effort--serious effort. I want to emphasize this simple but very important point: Growth requires really, really serious EFFORT. For those of us who follow Christ, we know this to be true, don't we? One of my favorite theologians says that grace is opposed to earning but it's not opposed to effort.
We know from the Bible that our progress and growth as Christ followers will require effort and that meeting resistance and continuing on is integral to becoming more like the One we were created to worship and follow and emulate. For example, in Philippians 3:13 & 14, the Apostle Paul writes, "Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God through Christ Jesus, is calling us."
Effort.
Or consider this passage from Romans 5:3&4, "We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop ENDURANCE. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation." [Emphasis added.]
As Josh pointed out, "Growth comes at the point of resistance."
As we embark on a new year, it is my goal to grow. One of my most important objectives for 2008 is to move forward, to be more like Jesus, to know Him better, to live for Him more honestly and authentically.
If you say, "Man, you've got a long, long way to go, pal!"
My response would be, "You're right. That's why I have to understand the cost and make a commitment to pay the tab."
I hope you are willing to make the commitment to growth and learning, too. We are disciples. Disciples are committed to doing what it takes to become like their master. Let's consider 2008 to be a year of growth and discipleship and learning and maturity. Let's be willing to pay the price and put in the effort. Let's be willing to get up after we fall down and dust ourselves off and keep going.
Let's commit ourselves to keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.
What do you say? Come on, together we can do it.
With Love and Affection and With My Sincere Hopes That You Have a Great New Year,
Dan Marler
www.VisitUsOnline.org
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