My New Year’s Reminder
It is a New Year, 2022. I saw a Facebook post that said that they were staying up until midnight December 2021 to make sure it was really over. We have all faced illness, uncertainty, political unrest added to the usual stresses of just living. This last year I feel like I’ve been a Martha and Luke 10:41 could read“…Sandy, Sandy, you are worried and troubled about many things” (NKJV). God is always faithful to remind me of what I need to do. This is my New Year’s Reminder. I have been reading through the New Testament chronologically. Yesterday, I read the second chapter of 1 John. Verse six jumped out at me. It says, “He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked” (NKJV).
One of the slogans from a few years back was “What Would Jesus Do,” or WWJD. It was so overused that it became useless. Then there was the “Honk if You Love Jesus” era. I was driving a borrowed car with that bumper sticker on it and getting irritated because people were honking at me. So much for slogans. But what would it look like in my life if I walked just as He walked? A memory picture came to my mind. My husband and I were in charge of a camp meeting in California. One day I looked across the grounds and saw my husband walking across the grounds. Not exactly walking, more like a lumbering sort of loose- jointed gait. Right behind him was our 10-year-old son, Ben. He was walking exactly like his Dad, right behind him. God said to my heart, “That’s what I want you to do, walk like me.” I immediately began to think of scriptures that would describe how Jesus walked when He was on earth. He walked and lived simply, He loved and forgave, He rebuked sin in the religious of the day and also in His disciples, and He taught those who were seekers and those who were not.
So, what does it mean to live simply? I am an OCD (obsessive-compulsive) clutter remover. I am always trying to de-clutter, organize, and get rid of things. I am not a clean freak; I just hate clutter. It dawned on me that the obvious reason why I am feeling the constant need to de-clutter is because I have too much “stuff.” Where does all of this “stuff” come from? Well, we buy it or it is given to us. I guess I really don’t need all those ten pairs of shoes and closet full of clothes in varying sizes.
Everyone knows Jesus loved and forgave. We are admonished in Luke 10:27 to “…love God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself” (NKJV). Matthew 6:15 tells us that if we don’t forgive others, God won’t forgive us (Palm paraphrase). These are truths that we know and have heard thousands of times but how would it look if I was walking just like Jesus walked at work, at church, in my community when that angry driver’s flips-me-the-bird, and at home?
Jesus rebuked the religious leaders and disciples alike. As a new Christian, I knew how to fix everyone else’s problems. I have tried to erase the words, “What you should do is…” from my vocabulary. The fact is, I cannot fix anyone no matter how hard I try. We can stand for the truth. Our society today uses the word truth with a small “t,” meaning that there are no absolute truths. As a Christian, we believe that Truth is found in following God. We like to refer to Jesus overthrowing the temple tables as justification for our anger, but most of our anger and irritation comes from just wanting our own way. Jesus rebuked Peter and told him that he was, “not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men” (Mark 8:33 NKJV).
Jesus was a teacher. He taught and spoke to anyone who would listen. Many times, the reason why people don’t want to listen is because of our presentation. As a teacher in the classroom, it was always easier to teach those who were engaged. The real success came when those who weren’t that interested became interested. When Jesus taught, he taught the pharisees, the Romans, the tax collectors, the prostitutes, the children, and anyone who showed up. It didn’t matter if they looked different, acted different, were not clean, were rich or poor.
My reminder for 2022 is that if I am to “abide” (live in a continuous relationship with Jesus), I am supposed to walk just as He walked. I must strive to live more simply, love and forgive, stand up for truth, and tell everyone who will listen about my wonderful Savior. When I see His footprints in front of me, walk behind Him, or walk alone; I want to do my very best this year of 2022 to walk just like Jesus walked.
Dr. Sandra L. Palm, NBC Director General Education Core Program
Published: 01/28/2022
Archived News