Goodbye 2023

 December 31, 2023

Other than a few songs I’ve written over the years, I’d be exaggerating if I said I’ve had more than one or two original ideas in my entire life. I’m pretty good at adapting great ideas I’ve heard from others, but overall, originality is not my strong suit. So, when I’m writing at the tail end of the year, it’s probably nothing you haven’t already read. You’ve been warned, so if you continue reading, it’s your own fault.

2023 has been a learning year for me. It’s odd, really—I feel that I’ve learned more about Christ since retirement than in all the years I was actively preaching. Ten years ago, the first major breakthrough for me came when God asked me where my joy had gone, and told me to begin focusing on that which is positive and uplifting in life. To my surprise, it was harder than I had thought. It felt like I was somehow neglecting my duty to point out where people were wrong in their thinking or beliefs. What a silly notion! My negativity wasn’t helping anyone, especially me.  Instead, God instructed me to focus on gratitude, no matter what. No more negativity, which is really hard when you think of the ordinary day to day conversations we have, most of which center on complaints or criticism of what we see wrong in life.

So I made the change, and it changed me! In a mere year’s time, the cloud of melancholy that had hung over my head for as long as I can remember had vanished. But that was ten years ago! Have I learned anything since? Well, God in his mercy was giving me time to assimilate that lesson, and I needed those ten years to really let gratitude seep into my soul. 

But this year, God has been turning up the heat. He has been making me aware (often through the agency of my wife) of the amount of time I spend on social media. It’s nothing bad, but little of it brings me closer to Christ. I knew all this, but until last June, wasn’t really giving it the attention it needed. All that changed when in June, my phone, iPad, hearing aids, cash, and teaching notes were stolen while on a mission trip. For an entire week, I was without any social media. I was surprised at how often when I had a few minutes down time, I reached into my pocket for my phone…the phone that was no longer there. One week, cold turkey, God got my attention. I replaced all the devices, and have really struggled to keep control over them, not always successfully, I might add. 

The Scripture that God used to convict me of all this was John 15:3 where Jesus says, “Abide in me.” My abode is my home, where I want to be when I don’t have to be somewhere else. Jesus is saying, “I want to be your home, where your mind lands when it doesn’t have to be anywhere else. My phone had become my abode, and it didn’t satisfy. Jesus does.

More recently, God brought my attention to 1 Kings 17:1, where Elijah describes himself as one who “stands before God.” I got to thinking that it’s the servants who stand, listening for the command or desire of the master of the house. Think of Downton Abbey. The servants stand against the wall waiting for a nod or word from the lord and guests of the manor. To stand before the Lord is to say, “I am your servant, waiting for your command.” That’s a different approach to prayer than we often have.

More recently, John’s account of Mary and himself standing at the cross has added depth to this concept. The cross is where no one really wants to be, where our own plans for life die, and where we care for one another. That’s what was going on in 19:25-27. 

The last lesson of 2023 comes from Ezra 7:10 where we are told that Ezra prepared his heart to seek the Lord. I’ve been too often guilty of trying to saunter into God’s presence without any heart preparation. This is like going into a concert without rehearsing, or trying to eat a meal that hasn’t been prepared. God has been pressing me to prepare my heart by self-examination, asking myself, “Where are you right now? What do you need from God? What’s going on in your life?” When I do this BEFORE reading Scripture, I am more ready to hear what God wants to say to me right now. 

So, for 2024, I will continue to work on being thankful in all situations, eliminating negativity and criticism from my diet, making Jesus my mind’s default instead of my phone, standing in his presence ready to listen and serve, and lastly, to take care to prepare my heart to seek God. If I can imperfectly accomplish even a fraction of this, 2024 promises to be a good year.