Author: Zlatko Sebesta

Resolutions vs. Commitments

We’re grateful to Kelly for preaching during the Advent Season. He is thus bringing a reflection at the start of the New Year.

Light-hearted “Resolutions” or True Commitments for the New Year?

In last month’s “Pastor’s Pen” Gerhard encouraged us during the “giving season” of Christmas to consider the many gifts we’ve received in 2020 – despite the obvious challenges – and to reflect on the lessons we’ve learned this past year. I would echo that encouragement as we finish this year and begin the new one!

In the U.S., we have a tradition of making New Year’s “resolutions” that are normally goals for self-improvement in the coming year: ending bad habits, eating better, being wiser with our money, etc. In fact, January is the top month for new memberships at gyms/fitness centers! For many people, writing up a list of resolutions is merely a fun or expected “exercise,” but others approach their resolutions in all seriousness.

Unfortunately, good intentions alone don’t lead to changes in behavior! As believers, there are some things we can do to increase the likelihood that we will follow through on our goals for the new year:

• Approach them seriously and prayerfully – what are the areas I think God wants me to work on this coming year?
• Prioritize the most important ones – no more than 5 and focus on those. (If you accomplish all 5 by mid-year, choose 5 more 🙂
• Commit them to prayer – access the power available to us through prayer and the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in our lives
• Share your goals with at least 1 other person for accountability – and give that person freedom to ask you how you’re doing
• Review your progress at least monthly – and make any changes necessary to help you reach your goals.

So intentionally set aside some time before we’re too far into January and review the lessons learned from 2020 (and honestly assess the failures) and establish some clear goals for 2021: personally, professionally, in your marriage and family/parenting, and spiritually (evangelism, Scripture reading and devotional time, prayer, and/or Scripture memorization).

May we all experience growth in our lives in 2021 – individually and as a church family!

Blessed to be a part of BFC with you  ~Kelly Fath

COVID & Christmas

The year 2020 has been unusual – you’ve heard that before!! COVID has left its mark on society, politics, health and the economy. As we approach Christmas, it may give us an opportunity to reflect on what we’ve learnt.

There are many negatives, of course, such as the lockdowns, economic downturn, unemployment, travel restrictions, loneliness, depression, and much more. But, in light of Christmas and the “giving” season, I am also wondering what positives “gifts” we can take with us into the future? I do believe this COVID period has given us some gifts – gifts we probably wouldn’t have noticed or appreciated if they were not taken from us!

Take time to reflect on the some of these gifts or lessons.

• Learn to appreciate the gift of friendships, visits, worshipping together in the same venue without fear of infection, the hugs, smiles … and much more. Don’t take anything for granted!
• Be mindful of those who are single and lonely. Many do not have a house, garden or companion to share their locked-in environment.
• Appreciate freedom of movement, even going to your workplace and rubbing shoulders with others. In the past people would often yearn to have “home office”, but being forced to stay at home during this time has given it a different perspective, I think!
• Enjoy faces, facial expressions, smiles … without a mask covering it up. Look people in the face.
• Enjoy the gift of clean hands, soap and practicing good hygiene to avoid catching viruses and other illnesses.

During this time we’ve learned to live with change – things can change overnight! But the one constant and unchangeable truth is that God is our Rock and Salvation (Psalm 62:1). Learn to trust in Him for comfort, care and protection, especially since He dealt with the deadliest virus of all, namely sin which Jesus removed when He gave us the greatest gift of all, His own life. The “vaccine” to deal with sin has been given and approved  a long time ago!

May we have a healthy, joyful and Christ-filled holiday season.

Dealing with disappointment

I guess we are all familiar with disappointments and can tell story after story about disappointments we experienced as a children and even as adults. It’s also no secret that different personalities handle these disappointments very differently. On the one extreme people will simply go quiet and withdraw, while on the other end of the spectrum people will react verbally, with anger, and much emotion.

Most of us had hoped that, by now, this Coronavirus would be “under control”, whatever “under control” means. Maybe that life as we used to know it (how long ago was it?) will return, or that medical science would have come up with a treatment that works, or that the thing will simply go away! But here we are … facing yet another lockdown as cases in Europe (and other countries) seem to spiral out of control. What a disappointment! Most of us are tired of this way of life, forced to stay indoors, wear masks, meet via cyberspace, keep social distancing, and much more. Psychologists actually refer to it as COVID fatigue and even Zoom fatigue! Tired, disappointed.

There is an incident in the life of Samuel that may help us shift or focus during this current disappointment. The first king of Israel, Saul, selected by God and anointed by Samuel, became a major disappointment to both God and Samuel because of disobedience. This caused much mourning on the part of Samuel (1 Sam 15:35) … until God said to him, “How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons” (1 Sam 16:1).

In the midst of grief, disappointment and mourning over Saul, God found King David, from whom would come the King and Messiah, Jesus Christ our Saviour.

Maybe the message for us is: Look up, look ahead, look around to see what God can bring about in the midst of this pandemic!

Patience…

For a while now we’ve looked at the Book of Judges, digging for gold, which I see mainly as the characteristics of God. Each Sunday we’ve discovered some aspect of how God is revealed to us in the lives and experiences of the “judges”. It’s certainly not the only way to look at the Book of Judges, but it has been helpful to me to work through some very tough (and most often disappointing!) stories and incidents in the life of Israel and her leaders.

One of the main characteristics in the book is the patience of God. There are many definitions of patience, but one puts it this way: it’s “the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, problems, or suffering without becoming annoyed or anxious”. Looking at the sinfulness of God’s people in Judges, there is no doubt that God had to exercise constraint in not simply killing them off or destroying them in order to start over again. But, such is the patience of God. God is God, God is full of grace, and God had a plan. Even now God is patient, not only with those outside the Kingdom, but also in offering ongoing forgiveness to us when we sin and repent.

Many years after Judges God’s patience resulted in the coming of Jesus to this world to die for our sins. Jesus himself showed patience in bearing with rejection, misunderstanding of his ministry and his final goal, but He “endured the cross” (Hebrews 12:2) in order to finish the task of bringing salvation to the world. The author of Hebrews therefore encourages us to “run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith” (12:1-2). New Testament authors also encourage us to follow in the footsteps of Jesus by pursuing the same attitudes He had – among others, patience, as a fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22).

I can think of no better time to be reminded to be patient than right now during this pandemic. It seems as if this “thing” is going to be with us for a while. As followers of Christ, let us display the attitude of Jesus and thereby be true witnesses to the world in how to endure in times of trial and difficulties.