Here We Go 2024…but How?

2024! We say it every year and this year is no different. Wow, does time pass too fast! As this will be my 50th year around the sun I am starting to relate better to Scriptures that put life into the proper perspective. Like James 4:14, "whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away." That is not in any way to put a damper on the joy of life or the anticipation of what God has in store for 2024, but it does cause me to want to appreciate time more.

This can be a dangerous endevour if not approached with the right motivation. As soon as we start talking about subjects such as doing more with our time, procrastination, purpose, goal setting, etc. it is possible that we will overly burden ourselves for the sake of not wasting time. When we take our eyes off of God and start looking around at what we are doing for Him, we may start to look like the church of Ephesus.

Revelation 2:1-5,  “¹ To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, ‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: ² “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; ³ and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary.

Now, as we read through that list it appears the church of Ephesus from our perspective was highly successful. They wereworking hard and patiently for the Gospel. They werepersevering under trial and had hit such a stride as to not become weary in the doing. So....

⁴ Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. ⁵ Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent. 

Wow! So all their work and labor, the efficiency and perseverance, the race they were so "successfully" running was in danger from God's perspective of being taken away from them. He tells them twice they must repent.

I have learned over the last few years the Lord is not impressed with our activity, no matter how "fruitful" it appears. God wants our hearts. He must be all in all...He must be Lord...He must be obeyed. So how do we make the most of our time in 2024? If our lives are so fleeting and we want to live a life of purpose how do we do that? Let us consider what Jesus told His disciples after returning from a mission trip He sent them on. They were testifying to the tremendous impact they witnessed and the power of God that worked through them.

Luke 10:19-21, "¹⁹ Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. ²⁰ Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”

Again, the disciples were looking at all they were able to accomplish by the power of God on their mission trip. Jesus responded by telling them where their power came from...HIM! Further, he told them not to celebrate the power, but rather celebrate their salvation. So what am I looking forward to in 2024? The same thing I was lookingforward to in 2023. Charles Spurgeon said it best, "While others are congratulating themselves, I have to sit humbly at the foot of the cross and marvel that I’m saved at all."

Let our rejoicing, our purpose, our motivation, our hunger, our vision, our intentionality be squarely fixed on Jesus and His finished work. If Jesus is our beginning and end, I anticipate that this will be our most fruitful year ever!