What really matters.

Ahh, a new year!  The time when I am not the only crazy person making new lists.  Being a journaler, I usually make lists of things I learned in the previous year, struggles, victories, blessings, etc.  I then make a list of goals for the year ahead, what I want to learn, how I want to grow, the challenges and blessings I am expecting.

This year, however, my outlook has somewhat changed.  God has asked me to go deeper into questioning what really matters in a new year, or in this life for that matter.  Philippians 1:9, says this:

And I pray this: that your love will keep on growing in knowledge and every kind of discernment, so that you can determine what really matters and be pure and blameless in the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. 

I have been pondering a lot on this verse, and can't help but wonder, "Do I know what really matters?"  Do my thoughts, my actions, my goals, reflect that which really matters, or do they reflect worldly things that are of no eternal value.  Following the thought process of this verse, it seems that what really matters is being pure and blameless in the day of Christ.  What really matters is a pursuit of holiness, an active fight against sin and this world, and an active pursuit of the only One who can rescue us from it.  Now that changes some things in my mindset.  What if I were to filter my new year list through the words pure and blameless?  Would some bullets be crossed off?  Would I need to add or modify others?  Maybe I need to get rid of the list all together and just write pure and blameless in giant letters over my journal page.  You can see I am still Searching in this daily Christian walk.   

That being said, my list for this coming year will be a little bit different than previous years.  I only hope that I will live it out.  It is so easy to just make a list and feel as if I have thus accomplished all of the thoughts and ideas expressed in that list.  The truth is, though, that the list means absolutely nothing unless Christ gives me the power and the grace to start living out those goals.  I guess I need to go back and review my November blog, Listful Thinking.  Who knew...when I write about a topic on a blog, everything in that blog doesn't magically become woven into my heart.  This life is a long, hard, beautiful journey of living by grace and falling flat on our face.  Praise God that He always picks us up and accepts our filthy rags, making them beautiful. 

God, help me determine what really matters, and help me live in a way that matters for you. 

Thanks for reading the ramblings of a wordy person :)