Word for Word - Pastor Duane Smith

Happy New Year!

This is an exciting time of year! We look forward with great anticipation wondering what the year ahead will bring. We make resolutions that we fully expect to carry out but usually don’t. Most of these resolutions focus on our health (eating right, more exercise, losing weight, running marathons), attitudes (being happier, friendlier), relationships, giving up bad habits or vices, etc. One person’s New Year’s resolution was that they were going to stop making resolutions!

While we make these resolutions with the best of intentions most of us fail to keep them for even a short time. Why is that? Is it because the things we are striving for are not good? No, most resolutions are for things that will be beneficial for us. It could be that we set our goals too high like losing one hundred pounds in six months. Goals like this are very difficult to achieve and we soon become discouraged. There is, however, a bigger reason why we fail in our resolutions. I believe we fail because we are focusing on only one or two areas of our life but realize there is much more that needs to be improved upon.

In 1 Timothy 4:7b-8 the Apostle Paul wrote: “On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” The Apostle Paul understood that godliness is what will transform us from within. We must realize that our quest for godliness can only begin once we have trusted Jesus Christ as the Savior of our sins. Any effort to be godly without a relationship with God would be futile. Once we have that relationship with God we can then begin the journey toward godliness. How can godliness transform us? Good question! The Bible tells us what is pleasing to God so we must begin there.

Only through study of God’s Word can we understand how He wants us to live. When we are striving to live a life that is pleasing to God (Which can only be done with His help!) all areas of our life will be affected. It doesn’t mean that life will be a bed of roses but it does mean that we will be different even if our circumstances aren’t.

This New Year why not make a resolution that will transform you from the inside. Make the resolution to “discipline yourself for godliness” and see what a difference it makes!

Pastor Duane Smith
First Baptist Church,
Waukon