It’s crazy to realize that 2025 is already upon us. My journal and I are still getting used to it as I catch myself dating my entries with a 2024 every other day! Before we dive into scripture, I wanted to encourage you to approach this year wholly for God and the purpose of honoring Him. Everything changes when He is in the center of everything.
Now, onto the scripture!
Therefore, because we know the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade people, but we are well known to God, and I hope we are well known to your consciences too. We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to be proud of us, so that you may be able to answer those who take pride in outward appearance and not in what is in the heart. For if we are out of our minds, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ controls us, since we have concluded this, that Christ died for all; therefore all have died. And he died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised. So then from now on we acknowledge no one from an outward human point of view. Even though we have known Christ from such a human point of view, now we do not know him in that way any longer. So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away—look, what is new has come! And all these things are from God who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and who has given us the ministry of reconciliation. In other words, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting people’s trespasses against them, and he has given us the message of reconciliation. Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making his plea through us. We plead with you on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God!” God made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we would become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:11-21
New English Translation
You know what the easiest part of a New Year’s resolution is? Giving up. Yep, you read that right. The easiest part is giving up. Once humanity makes it to the new year mark, they begin to make these lofty goals like “I’m going to work less” or “I’m going to lose weight” and the options are limitless. However, generally, within the first few days we give up on those ideas, realizing that our same-old same-old is much easier than trying to shake things up…even if working out daily is a really good idea.
Sometimes, people can treat Christianity like a New Year’s resolution. They say that they want to walk with God, that they want their lives to be different, and they place all these lofty “holiness” goals on their shoulders just to soon after realize their old way was so much easier and give up at the first sign of difficulty or making the slightest mistake.
Many resolutions end because there is no motivation and zero accountability…after all, if no one knows, what harm does it do? That’s why many times people try to pick an accountability partner to stand alongside them and encourage them as they struggle through the changes. Yet, if the wrong accountability partner is picked, they could be more of an enabler than a motivator.
The same is true when it comes to Christianity. A lot of people will just pick the first person they see, maybe even some of their former non-Christian friends, to put all their trust in for motivation and encouragement. However, by choosing the wrong partner, they’re actually drain themselves of the energy they need to keep going with God instead of being uplifted.
If choosing the right accountability partner is so important, how do we know who should take up that responsibility? Well, to be honest, first and foremost, the main accountability partner should not be just a mere human.
Your first partner should always be God and then you can ask His advice on who He trusts to come alongside you and encourage you.
So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away—look, what is new has come! And all these things are from God who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and who has given us the ministry of reconciliation. In other words, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting people’s trespasses against them, and he has given us the message of reconciliation. Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making his plea through us. We plead with you on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God!” God made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we would become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:17-21
New English Translation
What Paul is pointing out here is that God is already acting as your accountability partner, He’s already supporting you. So, the question is then are you accepting His help or are you trying to clean yourself up before you come before Him?
Now we have such confidence in God through Christ. Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as if it were coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who made us adequate to be servants of a new covenant not based on the letter but on the Spirit, for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 2 Corinthians 3:4-6
New English Translation
Paul made it clear that you are not expected to make yourself perfect so you can come before God and live with Him. Rather, you are supposed to realize you aren’t perfect and allow Him to step in and help you with that. You can’t take on that task on your own, it’s just not how it works, which is why so many people get discouraged and give up. They’re trying to take on responsibilities that were never theirs to carry on their own!
We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to be proud of us, so that you may be able to answer those who take pride in outward appearance and not in what is in the heart. For if we are out of our minds, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ controls us, since we have concluded this, that Christ died for all; therefore all have died. 2 Corinthians 5:12-14
New English Translation
Now, another issue that a lot of people run into is trying to live the “holy life” for appearances sake or for others. Instead of doing it because they want to have a relationship with God and they want Him to transform their heart, sometimes people want others to look at them differently, they want others to be impressed or they are trying to win the approval of others. However, Paul makes it clear that truly being in a relationship with God means that you’re living for Him and no one else. You don’t care whether people approve of your walk with God, you don’t care whether it makes others look at you differently, you just want to live with Him and His approval is enough for you.
Am I now trying to gain the approval of people, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ! Galatians 1:10
New English Translation
Basically, if you’re trying to win a popularity contest, Christianity is not the right pick for you. Paul states that is not how it works. When you live different than the “easy” ways of the world, you instantly become less popular with the masses.
…yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we live, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we live. 1 Corinthians 8:6
New English Translation
Paul, while discussing the issue of idol worship and eating food sacrificed to idols, makes the statement that we live for God alone, we don’t live for anyone else. So, if we’re living for God alone, then our motivation cannot come from wanting praise or approval from others. Instead, we must realize that as Jesus taught in Matthew 25 through the parable of the servants and the talents, our praise and approval comes from God!
Personally, I would rather receive praise from the boss than a fellow employee or my parents rather than my siblings. Receiving praise from God instead of man is comparable. It’s way better!
Examine me, O Lord, and test me. Evaluate my inner thoughts and motives. Psalm 26:2
New English Translation
So, what is your motive for becoming a Christian? Would you be comfortable asking God to test you and evaluate those motives? Are you putting on a “holiness” show? Or are you genuinely living to honor God? I encourage you to take some time to be brutally honest with yourself. A little hard honesty now that gets you on track with God is much better than missing out on all that God has for you.