With the new motto for the year: Test everything and keep what is good. 1 Thessalonians 5:21
When I look back over the last two years and look at the mottos for the past year, on the one hand there is “You are a God who sees me” and on the other hand “Let everything you do be done in love”.
The first, for me, is definitely a strong encouragement. God sees me, wow, what a strong statement. You want to do things well and let God and the Bible change you. And even if things don't always work out the way they should, God's gaze remains on me. He looks, not to monitor but to support and help.
The second is an instruction. Now that we are certain that God is there and that his gaze is constantly on us, we receive an order. "Let everything you do be done in love." We can now show who we are (although God already knows us through and through). And here too we can be certain that HE is there and sees us. That he supports us and helps us to implement. All we need to bring with us is a willing heart to implement and learn.
How has the last year been for you? Have you experienced what happens when we take our steps with faith and trust? Or is the motto for the year only present for you at the beginning of the year? Something that you don't think much about and that doesn't really affect you? Then you've missed something.
Over the last year I have often asked myself how I can be more friendly to the people I meet. And I quickly realized that this requires a certain spiritual hygiene. The soul must be constantly cleansed and kept as clean as possible. And so forgiveness became something very fundamental for me. I realized that if I forgive again and again and ask for forgiveness, I have a completely different attitude than if I give space to the anger and hurt within me.
I can well imagine you rolling your eyes and thinking, "Now he's talking about forgiveness again." But if it wasn't so important, I wouldn't keep mentioning it.
Because the forgiveness I express and the forgiveness granted by God are fundamental things that put my soul in a balanced, loving state. And my heart is only able to meet my fellow human beings with love if I am not constantly struggling with hurt or pent-up anger.
And now that we know that God sees us and that we should treat our fellow human beings with love, we are now asked to examine everything and keep what is good.
EVERYTHING!
Difficult and challenging. We are so used to doing things ourselves and our decisions come so quickly and spontaneously that there is no time to check them, is there?
I have to tell you that I'm not one step further at the moment. I just know that I'll be taking up the challenge again this year and I'm excited to see what changes it will bring me.
And I am sure of God's support.
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