It’s a new year!! 2018 is upon us, and like most people, I’m excited for the fresh start that comes with the new year. DON’T BELIEVE THE HYPE!! Yes this is a new year and a chance to reach new goals and to be a “new you”, but don’t get it twisted: without discipline and new habits that promote growth, we all will find ourselves in the same hole we did last year. I wanted to really press into the hard truth that Christianity isn’t all hype, and also a new year isn’t all hype either. I really want you all to hear my heart on this.
Firstly, I wanted to continue on what I was saying about the new year. It’s a great chance, indeed, to have a clean slate and a fresh start and an amazing opportunity to set new goals and to be a better person than last year. It’s terrible, though, because we put so much hype into the new year and we set all of these unrealistic expectations that we are going to change a complete 180 degree when 12 o’clock strikes. To be real, that’s not the case at all. Our debts aren’t magically wiped away. Our sins and struggles aren’t somehow erased (granted they are by the grace of God and Jesus’ work on the cross). What I’m trying to say, is that just because a new year is upon us, we can’t believe the hype that everything is going to change. We need to be the change we want to see. We also need to make the necessary adjustments in our lives, so that this year will be better than last year.
The other aspect of hype that I want to delve into, is the Christian faith. I’m a firm believer, but I want to make it very clear that it is not all daisies and rainbows and magical blessings that fall out from the sky when we do good things. I heard in a message from Timothy Ateek, that Jesus is not a vending machine. We don’t type in the right combination (doing the “Christian” things) in order to get God to drop down our reward. Our reward is Him. This question still jolts me: Are we pursuing God for Himself, or do we pursue God for the blessings and the hype of calling ourselves Christians.
I’ve sadly seen many Christians use that title to point their fingers at other people. It disgusts me to see that, especially when we are all made in the image of Christ. Also when it comes to the hype of our faith, we think it’s some magical happiness that hits us all the time. That’s is very far from truth. Scripture says in John 16:33, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart for I have overcome the world”. Scripture also talks on that the point that we need to throw away the sins that ensnare us.
I think God has something amazing for us all. I think that He is sovereign and that we have a huge part to play in His story. We can’t get caught in the hype of being saved, thinking because we’re saved then all sinners are going to hell. That’s totally wrong. Instead, we should have the heart and mindset that we are saved by grace. That we can’t take any credit, and so we need to work out our salvation every day. We can’t live in a fairytale bubble that Jesus is just someone who gives us what we want when we do good deeds. He wants us to pick up our cross and follow Him, dying to our selfish ways. Let us all work to better ourselves this new year and to grow in our faith and to look and live more like Christ!! DON’T BELIEVE THE HYPE
Love y’all,
Ryan W.
