On November 1, 2023 I began my 17th year as the Associational Missionary of the Georgia Baptist Association. It was a perfect time for me to take a step back and reevaluate these past 16 years. As followers of Jesus Christ, we are called to strive to be more like Him every day. In order to accomplish that we need to know Him in a very intimate way and have a daily, personal relationship with Him. As I studied the scripture I discovered that He regularly took time to re-set, re-focus, and re-commit. If He thought those things were important in His life then we should seriously consider following that example. What does it mean to re-set, re-focus and re-commit? Here are my thoughts.
To re-set is to clear your mind of all the clutter and set it on spiritual things.
One of Jesus’ favorite places to go to get away from the clutter of the city was the Mount of Olives. It is much easier for us to re-set when we are able to remove ourselves from the surroundings that add clutter to our minds. Try to find a place of solitude and spend some time clearing your mind. Why would Jesus need to clear His mind? Let’s look at Matthew 4. Immediately after He was baptized he was tempted. (See Matthew 4:1-11)
The fact that Jesus was tempted just as we are should tell us that nobody is free from temptation. Temptation, however, is not a sin. We know this because Jesus was tempted and yet remained perfect. When we begin to dwell on those temptations and allow them to consume us then we sin. Romans 3:23 tells us that all have sinned. The greatest danger we face is justifying our sin. We do that by comparing our lives to others. When we compare our lives to Jesus then we all fall short. If we never feel remorse for our sins then we won’t feel the need to re-set or confess. 1 John 1:8 says that if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves. There are lots of us who deceive ourselves. We can deceive others sometimes, but we can never deceive God.
Re-set your mind on Kingdom things.
Another reason to re-set our minds is to allow the Holy Spirit to fill us with the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:16 clearly says that we have the mind of Christ. The only way that happens is for us to allow Him to clear our minds of the clutter and replace the clutter with His thoughts. We must have a daily personal relationship with Jesus for that to happen.
Joni and I have been married for almost 40 years. We realized some years ago that we had begun to think alike. (Scary, I know.) That would never have happened if we did not spend much time together. How much time are you spending with Jesus every day? Today is a good day to re-set your mind to think like Him so that you can be on mission with Him in your community. There is much Kingdom work to do and very little time.
To re-focus is to center your thoughts around His thoughts
According to Colossians 3:2, we are to set our minds on things above, not on things that are on Earth. With the introduction of Social Media that became more and more difficult. Here is my take on Social Media. I don’t know why so many folks think it’s OK to air their dirty laundry on Social Media sites. My mama always said, “Everybody’s business ain’t nobody’s business!” Although social media has allowed us to continue our worship services during the pandemic, it can be very distracting if we get caught up in negative posts. You don’t have to be careful what you say if you’re careful what you think!
I pray that we don’t let social media replace our personal reaction and interaction that happens when we gather for worship. There is a reason that Hebrews 10:25 was included in the Bible. Christians need fellowship with each other. It strengthens our faith and allows us to share one another’s joys and sorrows. I am so ready for this Covid-19 pandemic to be gone. I mean, don’t you miss all those covered dishes? Baptists are great at fellowship within the body. What we need to work on is including the lost people of the community. Next time you have a covered dish meal, invite somebody to come eat. If you feed them, they will come. AND they just might leave with a personal relationship with Jesus.
To re-commit is to start over with a deeper relationship with Jesus.
As I studied the life of Jesus I realized that He also thought it was important for us to see that He was totally committed to the work of His Father. There is a serious shortage of commitment to anything these days. Since the Divorce Reform Act of 1969 family life has changed dramatically. Couples have entered into marriage with the idea that if it doesn’t work, no big deal. The divorce rate had soared for years until it was over the 50% mark for first-time marriages. Statistics now show a slight decline in divorce. Children no longer see commitment modeled in the home and it spills over into other areas including the church. Nominating committees have arguably the worst job in the church. Finding people who are passionate and committed is a difficult task. Let’s be more committed every day to studying His Word.
Benefits of Studying the Bible
When we grow in our faith in and knowledge of Jesus we receive more of His blessings. Here are some statistics about regular Bible study:
According to research conducted by the Center of Bible Engagement, when you read your Bible at least 4 times a week, you will receive the following benefits:
- 1. Feeling lonely drops 30%
- 2. Anger issues drop 32%
- 3. Bitterness in relationships drops 40%
- 4. Alcoholism drops 57%
- 5. Sex outside of marriage drops 68%
- 6. Feeling spiritually stagnant drops 60%
- 7. Viewing pornography drops 61%
- 8. Sharing your faith jumps 200%
- 9. Discipling others jumps 230%
The study indicated that when people engaged in the Scripture one time a week, which could include a pastor instructing the congregation to “open your Bibles…”, there was a negligible effect on some key areas of their life. The same result was true if people engaged in the Scriptures two times a week. The result equaled little to no effect. Three times a week saw a small indication of life. There was a slight pulse, a faint heartbeat. Something moved in the behavior of the person engaging in Scripture. The eye-opener happened when Bible engagement reached at least four times a week.
God is so good!
God is so good that He promises us that if we practice what He teaches in His Word then we will be successful in life. Joshua 1:8 – “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous and then you will have good success.” I’m not nearly as interested in success and prosperity as I am in pleasing God. For that one reason, I plan to re-set, re-focus and re-commit as often as it takes. Won’t you join me?
