A Determined Purpose
As we begin this new year, I want to reflect on the words of one of my favorite devotional writers, Oswald Chambers. In his all-time classic devotional, “My Utmost for His Highest” he wrote, “My determined purpose is to be my utmost for His highest— my best for His glory.” What a powerful and inspiring statement of faith and devotion! But how often do we lose sight of this purpose in our daily lives? Can we even say this is our purpose for life? I hope so.
We often get distracted by the cares and worries of this world, by the temptations and pleasures of the flesh, by the opinions and expectations of others? And before you know it, we forget to keep the main thing the main thing?
The main thing, of course, is Jesus Christ. He is the author and finisher of our faith, the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end. He is the one who loved us and gave Himself for us, who died and rose again, who ascended to heaven and sent His Spirit to fill us and empower us, who intercedes for us and who will come again. He is the one who calls us to follow Him, to love Him, to obey Him, to serve Him, to glorify Him. He is the one who deserves our utmost for His highest.
But how do we give Him our utmost? How do we live for His glory? The answer is simple, but not easy. We must keep Him first in everything. We must seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. We must love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. We must abide in Him and His word. We must walk by His Spirit and bear His fruit. We must put on His armor and fight His battles. We must share His gospel and make His disciples.
These are not optional or occasional activities for Christians. These are essential and daily expressions of our faith and devotion. These are the ways that we keep to the point, as Chambers urged us to do. These are the ways that we honor Christ in our own person by fearless courage, as Paul did (Philippians 1:20). These are the ways that we magnify Christ in our body, whether by life or by death (Philippians 1:21).
As we enter this new year, let’s make this our resolution: to keep first things first. To keep Christ first in everything. To give Him our utmost for His highest. To be our best for His glory. And let’s remember that He is with us always, even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20). Happy New Year!
Shalom,
Pastor Brad