“Be Ready At All Times…!”(Lk.12:35-40).
By the familiar calendar reckoning today is the last day of the year 2022. The Church year already begun on the 1st Sunday in Advent.
As we tidy up the year, it is time to take an annual stock, evaluate our progress and see if we met objectives. To some of us living “one day at a time” means opportunism. So to say, we sleep without a plan for the next day and when we get up in the morning we take what life offers.
Far from that, one day at time is to surrender our lives to the Lord and submit our plans to him. Whoever fails to plan has already planned to fail. We must plan for the next day, month and year but we must plan with God.
Planning is not only in terms of material wellbeing. Mary McKee says “shattered dreams, shattered dreams, nothing I planned has turned out right. My life without Christ is shattered dreams.” You know we have failed or succeeded only if you had a plan, with goals and objectives. Without any plan life rolls by and you live the moment as it presents itself.
The Lord Jesus Christ says “be dressed and ready for service and keep your lamps burning like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet…It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them…If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”
Bottom line: There is no break, no off time and no end of year for spiritual readiness. While we thank God for seeing us through the year, and while we submit our plans and lives to him for the year 2023, let us remain spiritually alive because the Son of Man will come like a thief in the night.
Our evaluation questions must include, but not limited to:
- Did I spiritually evolve in 2022?
- Did I intentionally move away from those vices that lowered my spiritual growth?
- Which areas of my life, character, habits should I improve upon in 2023? The list can be long as you add other questions. If we were to go by a SWOT analysis in measuring spiritual growth, we would be encouraged by our strengths. We would make out our weaknesses and the treats. Then in 2023 we may continue the journey of life by working on the treats and weaknesses so that they become opportunities for future strength.
New year Eve prayer: Father thank you for your love, mercy and compassion in 2022. Holy Spirit help me to be more spiritually focused in 2023. Amen!
Have a blessed day and end of year! Peace be with you! Happy New year!
Rev Babila Fochang.