A Light in the Window

A Light in the Window
Susan Hoyle, pastor Trinity United Methodist Church

Here we are in 2011 and we wonder how it can be the New Year all ready. With the New Year comes an opportunity to do some new things. Beginning a new year just seems like the right time to make some changes in our lives. That’s why so many people make New Year’s resolutions during January. The top resolutions are losing weight and exercising more. I imagine spending time with family and watching less TV and less time on the Internet are popular resolutions, too. We may have a long list of what changes we need to make. Yet the difficulty comes in our follow through, doesn’t it? It’s just easier to go back to our “default” I call it. You know going back to our old, comfortable ways.

But God calls us to change. Think about Nicodemus in the Gospel of John who goes to Jesus in the middle of the night. We’re not sure why he goes at that time. It may be he doesn’t want anyone to know he’s talking to this traveling preacher. Maybe Nicodemus thought he was faithful enough and was just fine the way he was…until he heard Jesus preaching and teaching. Maybe he realized that Jesus was inviting him to “more,” a deeper relationship with God.

Jesus told him that he needed to be born again. Now there’s a real change! How can I be born again in my mother, he asks. That was your physical birth, Jesus said. Now it’s time for your spiritual birth. When we’re born again, we offer ourselves to God. God is the focus of our lives, not our own wants and needs. God is number 1 and we are number 2. Now that is the most difficult change we ever try to make. And we can’t make it on our own. We offer ourselves to God and ask God to change us. Just like Nicodemus, we’re unsure how to be born again. But it all begins with one word, “yes.” Yes, God, I want You to be the focus of my life. Yes, God, I want to serve you even when it doesn’t make any sense to me or to others around me. Yes, God, I need Your strength and courage to be born again.

In 2011, it’s time to get serious with God. Oh, you may say, I’m serious enough all ready. I’m doing this work for God or that work for God. But remember we are to work for God and spend time with God. And working for and being with God are two different things. If we work for God and don’t spend time with God we will burn out and your work for God will become a chore. When we’re born again, we begin to understand the difference between the two. We realize that growing in our faith with God first puts everything else in our lives in the right order.

As we begin 2011, how will you get serious with God? How will you offer God more of yourself, perhaps all of yourself? Will you find a loving, faith community? Will you become part of a small group to get to know other faithful followers of Christ? Will you begin to look at your giving of your service, money, gift and talents? Will you pray daily? Will you _____________? (you fill in the blank) When each one of us “gets serious with God” our corner of the world will change because we will change. And isn’t that what Jesus asks of us? Remember, He tells us, when you reach out to others, you reach out to Me. And reaching out to others is the most God given change of all…Amen.