Happy New Year
Probably there have been several acronyms for Happy New Year over the past few decades, but below is one more suggestion.
H – Heaven is our goal. Many things are happening here on earth—both in and out of the church. Some of them are frightening—especially when they threaten world peace. Domestically, we also find many iniquities which are troublesome. And sometimes the church is not what we would like it to be, either. No matter what problem surfaces, we need to remind ourselves that heaven is our goal—not only for ourselves but everyone else. Getting angry, telling someone off, and failing to exercise self-control seldom produce good results. “What is the best course of action for all concerned” is well worth considering before taking action. Hasty remarks may make a problem worse; exercising patience may find the problem resolving itself. We ought always to seek the best interests of the kingdom of heaven first and foremost (Matt. 6:33).
A – Achieve a positive attitude. This idea does not mean that anyone should ignore reality. One member told about an optimist extraordinaire. A woman always had something positive to say about someone. An utter scoundrel died. He drank heavily, abused his family, and was always spoiling for a fight. Neighbors wondered what the optimist could possibly say good about him. After the funeral, amidst some negative comments, she spoke up and said, “He was a good whistler.”
We might not want to be that cheerful, but on the other hand, some are quick to put a negative spin on things when nothing sinful was intended. This practice relates to judging motives rather than waiting to find out more information, which is a legitimate application of Matthew 7:1-5. In Joshua 22, the tribes who were going to live on the east side of the Jordan River erected an altar. It was assumed that it was done as an act of rebellion against God, but it was to serve as a witness that they were one people worshiping the same God. It would be better to maintain a positive attitude until evil intentions are proven or admitted.
P – Pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17). Christians have been given a model prayer by Jesus Himself. We also see the way Jesus prayed the night He was betrayed (John 17). We also have several exhortations to pray, such as: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (Phil. 4:6). Prayer was a part of the spiritual life of Christ; He spent all night, praying, before He selected the apostles (Luke 6:12-13). The early church began by praying often (Acts 4:24-30; 12:5). Life is a busy endeavor; we dare not neglect prayer.
P – Postpone procrastination. The reader did notice that this article is two weeks into the new year, right? For some, this might be a valid point, but the second P actually stands for Persevere.
Golfers use the expression, “It’s not how you drive; it’s how you arrive.” What does that mean? Say a person hits a drive 280 yards on a 400-yard hole. Wow! That’s wonderful. That only leaves about a 9-iron shot (a wedge for really good golfers). Theoretically, that last 120 yards will only take one shot to get to the green. But sometimes a golfer will hit the ball off the end of the club, and it goes almost sideways. Hmm. He’s still 100 yards out. His third shot falls short and lands in the sand trap. Rats! The fourth shot gets out but overshoots the green. Finally, his fifth shot gets on, but the green curves drastically, and he ends up three-putting for an eight, which is twice par. No, he’s not discouraged; last time he got a nine. The point is, he drove the ball well, but he neglected to arrive on the green with his second shot. Does he think about quitting? No more than seventeen times a day, but there is always the chance he will par the next hole.
Many Christians begin well. But then they somehow end up in the woods, in the sand trap, or maybe the lake. Now what? Some lose heart and quit. Someone said something unkind; efforts to talk with others about salvation have failed. His boss is always riding him, and he is persecuted by some of his neighbors for being a Christian. Some health problems have placed limitations on him, also. He quits attending worship as much (not feeling well) and eventually stays home altogether. He started out well but gave up. Christians must persevere through all obstacles (Heb. 12:1-4).
Y – Yield not to temptation. It’s not just a song; it’s a command: “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matt. 26:41). One of the first things we see in the Bible is the way temptation works in Genesis 3:6 (Matt. 4:1-11; 1 John 2:15-16). Temptations will always be present; the ways in which a person can sin are numerous. One way to escape them all is to internalize God’s Word (Ps. 119:11).
N – Note those who teach false doctrines and cause division (Rom. 16:17). Yes, we can practice this principle and still have a positive attitude—so long as we are positive the person is wrong that we are noting. Satan has introduced hundreds of errors into Christianity—some large and some small. A few make no difference, so far as we can tell, but the vast majority of false teachings will cause a person to be lost. Paul named Hymeneus and Philetus as false teachers (2 Tim. 2:16-18); John forbade fellowshipping such men (2 John 9-11).
E – Evangelizing with enthusiasm. Positive Christians know that people need to learn the truth in order to be saved; therefore, they are always looking for a good approach. Of course, not everyone is interested in salvation, but they should be—and someday they will wish they had been. It is up to Christians to develop a person’s interest in the gospel (what Ivan Stewart used to call D. I.-ing them).
Enthusiasm can make a difference. If a Christian is excited about sharing the gospel, then that enthusiasm may be contagious. No one should be like the timid door-to-door salesman who approached a house by saying, “Nobody home here, I hope, I hope, I hope.” It probably will not create a desire in anyone to study if the attitude of the Christian is, “You wouldn’t want to study the Bible, would you?” We know that salvation is the one thing everybody needs more than anything else. We should all be aggressive in a non-offensive fashion.
W – Work for the night is coming. All Christians should want to be a worker for the Lord. Hopefully, we don’t limit our activity to just singing about it. Titus 2:11-14 inseparably links grace and works—which many seem to think are incompatible. Verse 11 begins with, “For the grace of God….” Verse 14 ends with, “zealous for good works.” God’s grace has appeared to all men, but that grace teaches us certain concepts. First is “denying ungodliness and worldly lusts.” Grace also teaches us how to live, which is “soberly, righteously, and godly.” But while we are doing that, we are to be “looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing” of Jesus. He has purified us for Himself—to be “His own special people, zealous for good works.”
Do those good works save us? No, but on the other hand, no one can be saved without them. The idea that we can “receive Jesus” and then live as corruptly as any person in the world does (and still be saved), is a doctrine of the devil. Twice more Paul reminds Titus that brethren should “maintain good works” (Titus 3:8, 14). To do so is profitable and prevents us from being “unfruitful.” Grace and works are found together in Ephesians 2:8-10, also. Grace saves us through faith, but God desires that His people walk in good works.
Y – Yes! Knowing that we were “created in Christ Jesus for good works” (Eph. 2:10), we should volunteer to do those things that need to be done—for the church as a group or for individual members of the body. Not everyone possesses the “Here am I, send me” attitude that Isaiah responded to God with (Isa. 6:5). True, everyone is not qualified to do everything that needs to be done, but certain things almost anyone can do—and should.
An individual body works together well because all the parts cooperate. The brain does not instruct the mouth to say, “Can I get two arms to help me carry something?” They willingly pitch in. So ought we.
E – Example, which may be either good or bad. The Israelites in the wilderness refused to conquer the land God had promised them; they serve as an example of unbelief, which Christians should not follow (Heb. 4:11). Another bad example to avoid is the one set by the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. The seventh verse of Jude proclaims that they were homosexuals (gave themselves over to “strange flesh”) and “are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.”
On the positive side, Jesus performed a good deed (washing the disciples’ feet). Afterward, He told His disciples. “For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you” (John 13:15), which reflects to some degree what He had earlier taught about doing unto others what you would like for them to do for you (Matt. 7:12). Peter ties following the Lord’s example to our calling and our way of life: “For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow in His steps” (1 Peter 2:21). Jesus says that being persecuted for righteousness’ sake puts us in great company (Matt. 5:10-12). Those men set a wonderful example for Christians to follow and, in fact, comprise a great cloud of witnesses to encourage us (Heb. 12:1). Paul said to note (the same word as in Romans 16:17) those “who so walk, as you have for us a pattern” (Phil. 3:17). We need to both follow a good example and be one ourselves.
A – Apply the Scriptures. Atheists oftentimes know what the Scriptures teach. They may have no appreciation of them, be made angry by them, and reject them, but that does not mean they do not know them. They choose not to live according to them, however. What is the difference, therefore, between them and us—if we also know them but do not follow them?
Did Eve know the commandment not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? Yes (Gen. 3:1-6). Then why did she do it? Did Saul know he was to put to death the Amalekites, including their livestock (1 Sam. 15:1-3)? Then why didn’t he do it? Did David know there was a command against committing adultery (Ex. 20:14)? Then why did he do it? The Scriptures must not only be known; they must be followed and lived out. In real estate, the motto is, “Location, location, location!” For the Christian, it should be, “Application, application, application!”
R – Read the Bible regularly—in fact, daily! If a Christian does not know the Word, it will be difficult to apply it properly. One of the best ways to assure daily edification is to begin each day with a look at the Scriptures. True; some do rise quite early to get to a job, but even five minutes would be helpful. Then one begins the day with some Biblical principles in mind. If this schedule does not work, then another part of the day will have to do—perhaps after dinner or before bedtime. The important thing is not to let the Bible become a dust collector or a book only opened on the Lord’s day. Brethren must know its contents.