Monthly Archives: January 2025

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 11:16 am on January 9, 2025
Tags: christianity, , , habits,   

January 9, 2025 – January is….Defeating Old Habits

January 9, 2025 – January is….Defeating Old Habits

“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering … Fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it … God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.” (Romans 12:1-2 says, The Message, a paraphrase by Eugene Peterson)

Remember I wrote about translations of the bible, and in that devotion I mentioned “The Message” as one of the paraphrase renditions of the Bible that I like. The above reading is a good example, because it puts into understandable words, what Paul was trying to get across to us: take what is most comfortable, most ordinary, all of your habits, new and old, and place them before G-d – and then be ready for some change.

Why do we abandon new habits so quickly? Because our old habits are so comfortable. Old habits feel as good to you as your favorite chair. We are so easily drawn to that which is most comfortable. Did you get socks for Christmas this year? New socks are nice, but there is something that is so comforting about the old pairs. They fit “just right”. And that gives some sense of comfort. The old is comfortable. But the old can also get smelly and full of holes. You have to want something better — something new – if you are to follow a new path or try something new.

Don’t be afraid of the new this year – think of “new ways” as opportunities to defeat the “old habits”. Yes, the new is usually not as comfortable as the old. But when you find that the new makes you uncomfortable, take it and place it before G-d, who will take it and bring the best out of you.

Pastor Dave

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 5:57 am on January 8, 2025  

January 8, 2025 – January is…..A new Ending

January 8, 2025 – January is…..A new Ending

“No one can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending” (Unknown). I want you to remind yourself of this quote as you move into the new year. The upshot of the quote is this: we don’t start over; but we begin again, right where we are, toward the ending Jesus has already worked out for us.

If we believe that “If I do this or don’t do that Jesus will love me more”, then we have the wrong idea of the kind of relationship G-d wants with each one of us. We must change our thinking to “Because G-d already loves me beyond all measure, I will therefore live out that love every day, in every way”. Because there is nothing we can do to have G-d love us more, instead of looking backwards seeking a new beginning, we focus on beginning a new ending for our lives right now.

I do not make New Year’s resolutions anymore. I find them to be limiting. Since I know that most resolutions are forgotten or abandoned within a few weeks, why kid myself into thinking this year will be different.

Instead I try to find new ways to live into the love of G-d and the presence of my family and church every day. Every day I want to have a deeper commitment to praying and reading G-d’s word. Every day I believe the current times and trends in this world requires my undivided attention on G-d’s Word and the truth behind it so I can deal with the trials and tribulations that lie waiting around the corner.

How you end this year will be determined by how you start it. Do you want to get deeper into understanding G-d’s word and G-d’s intent for your life? Do you want a new ending this year? If you’re not a Christian, please know that this could be the best New Year of your life. Your life can be filled with hope and peace as you open yourself up to G-d’s word and the power of the Holy Spirit speaking truth and life into your existence. Why should every year be the same as the one before with nothing really changing?

If you are a Christian and you feel stagnate in your relationship with the Lord, then now is the time to rekindle that relationship – beginning with Word and Prayer. The real ending in our life will be when Jesus says well done my good and faithful servant. Wouldn’t it be nice for each one of us to know where Jesus said that and the love and intent behind what he meant?

Pastor Dave