A Time for Seeing Ourselves – Sunday, January 03, 1954
We sometimes shy away from words—especially words that have acquired unpleasant connotations; for example, we may speak quite comfortably of good resolutions, but perhaps not quite so comfortably of repentance as it may concern ourselves. But often there is little distinction between the two.
A good resolution, in the New Year sense, is simply a resolve to leave behind some bad habit, to improve a less than perfect performance, to make amends for some cause for regret—which is in fact a kind of repentance, by whatever name we choose to call it.
This is a time to look at ourselves, frankly, inside and out, even when it hurts, even if it makes us quite uncomfortable, and to forsake faults and foolishness and wasteful ways, to forsake our sins both of commission and omission, and to resolve to do better than we have done, to be better than we have been. Being honest with ourselves, most of us would be willing to admit that there are some things we wish we had done differently and some things we would wish to have overcome.
At almost every point of life, when we close a door upon the past, we have some cause to say, “I wish I had done some things better. I wish I had done some things differently.” It is seldom that any period passes without some such regrets.
However, this is not a time for brooding upon the past, but a time for looking forward, with hope and purpose and faith for the future—with a resolve to close each day with a sense of accomplishment, with a deeper appreciation of our loved ones, with a resolve to be more ready for whatever may come, whenever it may come.
The unexpected closing of the lives of others suggests constantly to all of us that we keep our own lives in order, that we do each day’s work each day, lest the time of cutting short should come sooner than we suppose, But if we should have done more than we have done, if we should have been more than we have been, we may well remember, gratefully, that the acceptability of a man’s performance is not only where he is at any moment, but also in what direction be may be moving.
There are many things to overcome for all of us, and as the New Year offers its opportunity for improvement, for peace, for repentance, we recall these lines from the words of John: “He that overcometh shall inherit all things. . . .”1 God help us in the New Year to have the strength and courage to be what we should be, and to overcome what we should overcome.
1Revelation 21:7.
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January 03, 1954
Broadcast Number 1,272