Resolve to Receive Him

Did you make any New Year’s resolutions this year? If the ads are any indication, most of us have once again resolved to lose 10 or 15 pounds! 

According to an article from the Harvard Medical School, we are more likely to keep resolutions when we dream big and break those dreams down into small, manageable steps. “Inch by inch, the job is a cinch. Yard by yard the job is hard.” If losing weight is your resolution, making a series of small changes to your diet and exercise habits and sticking with them may yield success in a few months. 

Or maybe not, and if not, don’t be hard on yourself! Obesity is a medical problem, but we shouldn’t judge ourselves by the standard of unrealistic body images that advertisers foist upon us.

The first few verses of John’s gospel, which is often read in worship after Christmas, offers a cautionary tale about New Year’s resolutions. “To all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born not of the will of the flesh or the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12-13).

I take the phrase “will of the flesh or the will of man” to mean “nature versus nurture.” Some people will find it easier or harder to make and keep weight-related resolutions based on our genes or environmental factors such as the availability of healthy food or our ability to add exercise to our schedules. 

But neither nature nor nurture are the determining factors in making the really big change we need to make. We have sinned and alienated ourselves from our Creator. We cannot repair that breach by choosing the right parents or turning over a new leaf. Faith in Jesus Christ is the path home to God. 

John sets “believing in Christ’s name” in parallel with “receiving him.” To believe in Jesus is to receive him. We receive him through prayer, Holy Communion, and welcoming new people into our lives, especially people who are in need or whom we find off-putting. As Matthew 25 teaches us, to welcome strangers, visit prisoners in jail and the sick in the hospital, feed hungry neighbors, and clothe people shivering with cold is to receive Jesus Christ himself.

I wish you well in your New Year’s resolutions, but this year, I invite you to believe afresh in Jesus Christ. To make this big dream more of a reality, let’s break it down into smaller steps:
•Worship with us in-person on the first Sunday of the month when we celebrate the Sacrament of Holy Communion. 
•Pray once a day. 
•Participate in one church ministry that gives you the opportunity to meet Jesus Christ through “the least of these.” To find out more, look around this website or go here to sign up for our e-newsletter. There are ample opportunities!

Peace be with you, 
Marvin