God set a no-pressure goal Posted on January 10, 2024 0 By PASTOR JAY SCOTT Emanuel United Church of Christ It’s now the second week of January, which means unless you’re some sort of super-achiever that the rest of us can only stand back and admire, some of you have already given up on one or more new year’s resolutions. This time of year, it can be so easy to put pressure on ourselves to stick with a diet, or remain devoted to an exercise plan, or whatever objectives we’ve set. What I want to tell you about is a no-pressure goal that God has set for each of us. The most important thing about setting a goal is that it must be achievable. That means the loftier the goal, the harder you will have to work. Then comes the pressure. When the work toward our goal becomes tiring or boring, it becomes very easy to back off. It becomes very easy to give up. I pray that none of you will give up on strengthening your faith. I pray that practicing your faith — worshiping, volunteering, giving — will never become tiring or boring. Fortunately for us, God provides us with the goal, and the motivation, to be the best Christian we can be. He guides us to shedding the pounds of weight that our sins can load upon us. He gives us ways to be in service to him that can easily be worked into our every day life. He promises us that our offering, while coming out of our bank account instead of into it, will yield great dividends in the world. He called great theologians in generations past who created the basis for the format of our worship service. He calls men and women to the pulpit to interpret His word and motivate us to confession and service. When we set goals and resolutions for a new year, we are also facing a choice of whether we will actually follow through. Jesus, however, drives a different kind of bargain when he makes clear the consequences of choosing the world instead of God. “Everyone who denies me here on Earth, I will also deny before my father in heaven.” – Matthew 10:33 This clear statement can be as simple or as complicated as you make it. The only pressure on you will happen when you don’t take Him at His word.
