A new year is often a time for fresh starts. It’s a good time to reflect on the past year and think about aspects of our lives that need changed. Perhaps your resolution is to eat less and exercise more. Maybe it’s to spend less time on your phone and more time with your family. It is also a good time to examine your spiritual life. As we start 2019, can I encourage us all to meditate on Philippians 3:8: ‘I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.’
The most important thing for Paul was knowing Christ. This is much more than just head knowledge. It refers to a deep, meaningful, intimate relationship with his Saviour. I wonder if this is our spiritual desire at the start of 2019? Will we count everything else in our lives as loss in comparison to knowing Christ in a deeper way?
How will we come to know Christ in a greater way? By making him our priority. By spending regular time with Him. By devoting time to reading Scripture and prayer. By making church a priority and by viewing it as a God given means of helping us grow in our knowledge of Christ.
At the end of 2019, it won’t really matter how much weight you lost or how fit you became. What will really matter is whether we have grown in our love and knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord. This year, may we count everything else as loss compared to knowing Christ.