God wants to gain true children He can share love with forever. Knowing His heart, we can never stop or procrastinate in the race of faith towards New Jerusalem. Welcoming the New Year 2015, let's set a goal with a renewed heart, make up our minds to achieve it, and run the race more earnestly.


First, if you set a goal, you need to have a definite purpose for the goal

Anyone can have a goal, but a sense of purpose may be different. Although we share one goal, our purpose may be different and the result will be different.

If you complacently think, 'Someday I will have the heart of spirit,' it means that you do not have a definite purpose of your goal. The definite purpose for the goal makes you renew your deeds and life.

More importantly, we should have a proper purpose for our goals. A sense of purpose for the goal is given when we clarify why we want to achieve the goal. In other words, when we realize why we should love God and why we should enter New Jerusalem, we can have a definite purpose and by extension we can make resolutions to achieve it.

When you realize the love of the Lord given to you, you will have a definite purpose to come forth as the fruit of His love. Then you can change quickly. By knowing the Lord's suffering on the cross was 'for me' and His sacrifice was 'for me', we have the reason why we should change, establish the purpose, and make up our minds to achieve it. Then we will be able to change.

However, without the realization, people can't have a definite purpose and their determination will be corrupted easily though they say they were determined to change.


Secondly, you should put aside your favorite things and do even what you dislike and your difficulties

Ruth turned her back from her hometown to follow her mother-in-law, and Jesus' disciples turned from their occupations and families to follow Jesus. A blind beggar named Bartimaeus threw aside his cloak to come before Jesus.

In the same manner, if you decide to push ahead with your goal, you should be able to put aside what you value most. Jesus said in Mark 10:29-30, "Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel's sake, but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life."

Check how much you lay aside 'yourself' for the Lord. Do you still enjoy watching the worldly programs on TV, surfing the Internet, and playing games? Do you still insist on yourself with pride? If you do, it proves your determination is not true. When you throw away what you find hard to throw away you can receive the Holy Spirit's help. Then you will naturally want to read the Word of God and live by it.

When people do what they like, the work's efficiency is maximized. The same applies to sanctification. We can change most quickly and efficiently when we heartily and joyfully obey the Word in the works of the Holy Spirit.


Thirdly, it is good to change quickly but more important to change steadfastly

A proverb says, "Many a little makes a mickle." It means many little changes can bring about a great change. Thus we need to unchangingly obey one by one.

If you coercively obey, it is not real obedience. With such obedience, you cannot circumcise your heart. If you think your change is slow though you pray hard, you should check if your deed comes from your heart.

If you obey with your heart you will be able to bear the fruit of spirit. This is because heartfelt obedience will not corrupt and with it you can keep running towards the goal of spirit. When you steadily pray and arm yourself with the Word of God from your heart without being forced to do so, you can apply the Word to yourself and be renewed.

It is very important that you should unchangingly practice the Word, even though it seems to be trivial. If you keep on trying to cast away the changing heart in every situation, the deeds will be piled up and then you will be able to cast off the changing heart and then find yourself practicing the Word unchangingly.

In conclusion, you are now urged to have a clear sense of purpose and reason for your goal, try to get rid of even the most difficult things for you, and unchangingly practice the Word. Then you can bear complete fruit. I hope in 2015 you will run more earnestly in this race of faith with strong determination.