Hi everyone, it’s the beginning of a new year. 2023 was a difficult time for many of us both in terms of our own personal lives as well as the state of the world around us. The cost of living was still a serious issue for many across the Western world. Fear and uncertainty over the future were commonplace for a variety of reasons, not least the incompetence of our political leaders, the ongoing proxy conflict in Ukraine between the West and Russia, the sudden eruption of violence between Israel and Hamas, and the continuing question of climate change. Western society in many ways continues to be bitterly divided along socio-political lines.
It’s not clear what 2024 is going to bring in terms of resolutions to any of these problems. This year will almost certainly see a general election in the UK as well as a presidential election in the United States so we will wait to see the outcomes of those and whether things will change for the better or the worse, or not at all.
What should you do?
When life is tough and your heart is weighed down with fear or uncertainty, it can be difficult to know what to do. It can be difficult to turn to God. You may not have made a conscious decision to spend less time with him, but when you are struggling your instinctive reaction may be to rely on yourself and your own resources and abilities instead of reaching out for help.
For 2024 I’ve decided to write a weekly article to help you keep God in mind and strengthen your trust in him. These will be written with Christians in mind but you are equally welcome to read and reflect even if you are not a Christian.
So let’s begin!
If you look in the Bible you will not find explicit instructions on how to fix the problems of our world in 2024. You won’t even find instructions on how to fix the world in which Jesus lived around AD 30.
It’s so important for you to realise that the Bible was not written to be an instruction book on how to live out every aspect of your life. It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking it’s a list of things to check off in order to earn eternal life, or a list of things to do in order to create paradise on Earth by ourselves.
The teachings of Jesus and his early followers were not intended to be something you simply add on to the life you already have.
To become a Christian means to be changed completely from the inside out, to realise that you are desperately empty and need to be filled, to replace your existing values and outlook on life with those taught by Jesus, and to have complete trust and confidence in God’s promises about the future of our world rather than anything politicians or activists claim they can achieve.
To be a Christian means to live without fear of anything up to and including death, to be prepared to give anything and everything for the sake of those around you, to show love and kindness even to those who wish you harm, and to see this current life as a time of learning and preparation for the true life that will come when Jesus returns to the Earth as God’s chosen leader for the whole world.
Wait…what?
That’s huge. It’s the biggest commitment you could possibly make in your life. It will change your life, and the lives of those around you, in more ways than anything else ever could. And it’s the only way to be part of that new world of everlasting peace and happiness that Jesus will create on Earth when he returns.
How do you make that commitment? How do you change? Maybe you’re not a Christian yet, maybe you’re a young person thinking about it, or maybe you’ve been a Christian for many years and you feel like you need a reminder.
Let’s begin where many of Jesus’ first followers did: listening to him teach on a mountainside in Matthew chapter 5.
Here’s how Jesus began one of his most famous teachings:
Matthew 5:3-12 (NIV)
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. “
These are eight qualities (the ninth is a continuation of the eighth) which Jesus says his followers should have.
In the next few weeks we’ll look at each one in detail to see what Jesus was getting at and what these qualities should (and should not) look like in your life today.
However, there is one thing we can take into consideration at the very start: these are not qualities which will get you ahead in this world. Being a Christian means having a willingness to sacrifice opportunities to get ahead in this world.
If you’re already a Christian then obviously you already know that. You know that you need to deny yourself and take up your cross every day to follow Jesus (Matthew 16:24).
However….
But do you actually do that? There are many Christians in countries like the UK who have got ahead in this world and done extremely well for themselves. Many of us are university-educated, working in highly respected occupations and living a comfortable middle class lifestyle. Some are even better off than that.
Does that describe you? Or does that describe the life you wish you had or are striving to have?
If so, does that mean you lack the qualities Jesus says we must have? Does that mean you have failed as a Christian?
The answer to this question will depend entirely on your own individual life circumstances. This is a question only you can answer by careful self-examination in the light of what Jesus did and taught.
This is the question I want you to keep in mind as we begin to go through these eight characteristics which Jesus calls us to embody.
Thank you. God bless.
Nihilist to Christian 