Happy New Year!
The word Year in Hebrew is Shanah. It has three meanings in the original root word:
1. Division of time;
2. To repeat, do the same;
3. To change, alter.
Will this year be just a passing of time? Will this year be just a repetition? Or will this year be a year that we will change for the better?
We would often hear the word change. It is so broad that the one who wants to change does not know where to start. For those who profess to be Christians, the answer is straightforward: we want to be like Jesus. Like Paul we too should say, “imitate me as I imitate Christ.”
If we want to pattern our lives to that of Jesus, then we need to see the pattern. Where can we see it? The Bible. If this is so, then the resolution to change and pattern our lives to that of Jesus involves our commitment to read the Bible and reflect on what is written there. The ethical question of WWJD – What Would Jesus Do – can be answered if we read and understand the Bible.
If reading the Bible is not yet in your New Year’s Resolution, then please put it there and start reading. When you make a reflection, start asking questions about what God wants to change in your life through the passages that you have read. Pray for it and ask for the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. In doing so, you have made a commitment to change for the better.
This year should not just be a passing of time nor a repetition of the last year but a commitment to change and follow in the footsteps of Jesus.
Rev. Francis Neil G. Jalando-on
#SeedsOfFaith
#BinhiSangPagtuo
January 2, 2017