The beginning of the school year fills us with many emotions. Whether it is excitement, nerves, regret, anticipation. The list is long. I have had the opportunity to experience the first day of school as a student, teacher, administrator, coach and parent. Although each experience is unique, there are some common threads as well. The one I want to explore a bit is that feeling of a “new beginning” or fresh start. A new beginning allows us the opportunity for new goals and visions for what’s ahead.
As we experience this new beginning to the year how many here want this year to be GREAT? Maybe even the BEST YEAR EVER?
If we truly desire that for our year at Lynden Christian, I believe the blueprint for success is right in front of us in the theme for upcoming year…. Rooted in Christ, Growing in Grace and Serving in love. The area to emphasize for today is the last and new part to this year’s them, serving in love.
Looking at this year’s theme verse in especially important to absorb:
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.
This verse spells out some very important points to make this school year the best ever. This verse is not filled with “optional suggestions”, rather it identifies crucial pieces to make our school year great. It sets the background for serving one another as a stewardship issue; serving in love is our biblical requirement.
Satan also knows that we want this year to be great, don’t think for a second he will sit idly by and allow that to happen without sending “darts” our way.
Three ways Satan attacks my daily quest to make my day great or to keep me from serving in love are as follows:
He Wants Me Busy: If my day is filled with all the “rat race” of life I may not have time left to do that which is most important to my day….. which is serving Him and loving others. If I scramble through the busy schedule my eyes go the tasks and my eyes no longer are fixed on Jesus
He Wants to Infect Me With “The Diseas of Me”: I want everything to fit into my box, my schedule, my ideas and ideals. Satan desires my focus to be on ME and my selfish desires and not look at the perspective of others
He Wants Me Unable to See My Role in the Kingdom: He wants me to focus on my shortcomings, my past, and my limitations. He reminds how far I have fallen short and I develop a “God can’t use me mentality”
I would like to reflect on promise the GOD CAN USE ME to help make this a great year. A great reminder of what action steps we can commit to is the Star Wars character C3PO! C3PO is an acronym we hang on my fridge at home:
C= CHRIST
P’S OF ACTION- PRAYER, PARTICIPATION, PAY IT FORWARD
O= ONWARD
Prayer — Take the time to pray and lift up those that you are in contact with on a daily basis
Participate — Participate in serving each other ….take action! “Post it note challenge”…. Write 2 goals on a post it note on how you can serve others better and keep it in full view for the entire year as a reminder of what we CAN DO for Christ each day
Pay it Forward — Commit to 2 random acts of kindness each day. Encouragement and kindness costs nothing. I promise you that if you do this, not only will you bless others but it will become an enormous blessing in your own life.
Join me in binding Satan and committing to the action steps to daily practice these 3 P’s and make this the best year ever!
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
