Guilt, Grace, and Gratitude

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. - 1 John 5:1–3 (ESV) What do you want to change in 2020? What resolutions are you making? How will 2020 be different then 2019? These are the types of questions that seem to be inescapable after Christmas. We reflect on what 2019 brought and we think about what is ahead. What I can tell you is that change will come in 2020. Some of that change will happen because of your effort. Some change will happen because of decisions you make - good and bad. Also, some changes will happen from forces outside of your control. How do you think of change in your spiritual life? Is that important? If I just read my Bible, go to church, and pray, will I change? I'm not a fan of resolution-type sermons, but I'm talking about our spiritual progress. It may not involve grand plans or checklists and probably won't emerge from what you think. Take some time to read in 1 John 4-5. In these chapters the old apostle John encourages his readers to evaluate and mature.