Your Account
One of the great things about beginnings is you get to dream about what you’d like the end to look like. The yearly rhythms afford us an opportunity to do that at the start of every year. What would you like this year to look like for you? Have you given 2025 much thought?
This isn’t necessarily a new year’s resolution post, although those certainly have some value. My intention in the next few minutes is to refocus us around the Story at play. Going to the gym more, cutting out sugar, or having a better sleeping rhythm, sure, those have good personal benefits. But there’s more.
We, as believers, need to remember that we are living in the greatest love story ever told. This is a story where God Himself stepped down in the world in order to save us from our sin, which separated us from Him. And this story, like all others, has an ending.
The Story concludes with each and every one of us giving an account to God for how we chose to spend our time. Paul reminds us, “each of us will give an account of ourselves to God” (Romans 14:12). What comes to mind when you read those words?
Remember back to your high school years, you walk into class and there’s a big “Test Day” written on the whiteboard and your heart sinks to the bottom of your shoes because you know you’re not prepared. Does the thought of giving a current account of your life to the Lord Himself bring about a feeling like that?
Or maybe your account with God might look something like this. After some time apart, you and your best friend have a reunion over a cold beverage and before you know it three hours have slipped by. The conversation is filled with the reminiscing of all the two of you did together in your younger years. The conversation comes to a close with just the surface of the good times being scratched.
Friend, you and I will stand before God and give an account for our lives. Are you ready for that, if it was to happen today? At any point in a year, we can make changes, but there’s something about the start of a year that gives us the opportunity to reassess and regroup.
Is there an area in your life that may need some cleaning up? Better put, what would 2025 look like if you did each day with Jesus? Living a whole year with a bent towards obedience and courage.
I want to take this concluding moment to remind you – God loves you so much. Take a moment, what is being stirred up at the thought of talking with God about your life today? Would that talk feel more like a test you’re vastly unprepared for, or like a reminiscing talk with a best friend?
Wherever you stand, as we begin this new year, remember for a moment the end of the Story. Jesus is victorious and we will stand before Him. Are you ready for that? If not, remember, He’s a gracious God and there’s no better time to start following after Him than now. Let’s together make 2025 be a year we look forward to covering with God during our pending account.
