No doubt it will be a year of opportunity to demonstrate those Godly qualities spoken of in Scripture --
… “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control.”(Galatians 5:22-23)
It will be a year that will see periods of personal conflict and peace, joy and sadness, prosperity and loss, discouragement and encouragement. In it all, our response to those circumstances in life will indicate what is in our soul. With the spiritual resources of God’s Word and His indwelling presence, we will have the spiritual capacity to face all that God will accomplish this year in our lives and be thankful. It s a matter of our choice, however, as to whether we will have this Divine outlook on life or become absorbed in our own self. The latter will result in discouragement and frustration. However, we can allow the reality of God’s Word to become that which motivates us and brings stability to our lives. God has given the grace provision of confession of sin so that we can have the filling of the Spirit. The Apostle John wrote --
… “If we confess our sins, He (God) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (wrongdoing).”(I John 1:9 KJV)
This is not an emotional experience, but a grace provision from God by which a believer is restored to fellowship after having sinned. Without the filling of the Spirit, all production in the Christian life is no more than human effort regardless of how “spiritual” it may appear. The Apostle Paul contrasted Divine production from human production when writing to the church in Corinth --
... “Now if any man builds upon the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, (Divine good) wood, hay, straw (human good).”(1 Cor 3:12 NASB)
It is God who must produce the fruit in our lives and this is accomplished as He is allowed to motivate us and work His work in and through us. Scripture states --
… “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”(Gal 5:22-23 NASB)
The result will be Divine production that honors the Lord both in time and in eternity. All this becomes a reality when the Word of God communicated becomes more than just information gained, but rather that which is learned and believed by faith. The Spirit of God causes the intake of Truth to be converted in spiritual nourishment. It is from that spiritual food that we are able to function with Divine wisdom and Divine viewpoint by using the promises and principles of the Word in an effective manner. We become “branches” on which God can produce His fruit. There are no short courses or quick easy lessons to become an effective branch that bears fruit. It requires consistency in studying and applying the Word, while maintaining fellowship through the filling of the Spirit. May our desire be that of the Apostle Paul as he prayed for fellow believers centuries ago when he wrote to the Christians in Thessalonica --
… “now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by means of grace comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word.”(II Thessalonians 2:16-17)