Greg Rittler

what I want to move towards

I heard a great talk on Sunday from one of our pastors, George Antonakos on how to be resolute in the New Year. He framed a lot of our relationship with Jesus around three ideas:

1. It’s about relationship. At the end of the day that is what is important. Jesus first steps were toward people, and usually the people that no one else cared about. We need to orient our lives around relationships in 2009 and beyond. We will need to seek these relationships out (including Jesus – he moves towards us as we move towards him).

2. Success involved a diminishing preoccupation with self. Healthy living is living that is not focused on self. I think this is why parenting is such a valuable time in life. It isn’t about me. It’s not about Elise. We move from ourselves to focus on others. I want 2009 to be a time of making sure it is not about me (even though I am so good at it).

3. Personal transformation is a process. We are work in progress. I struggle with this more than most I think. I want to have arrived. I want to have been through tough stuff and be “over that”. It really doesn’t happen that way. We move from struggle to struggle in many ways and our character gets developed along the way. The good news of the process is that it’s never too late to move towards the person we are becoming in Christ. That’s comforting to me. Especially during times of significant challenge.

I can easily waste a lot of time not pursuing who I want to be in Jesus. This usually results in pain and disappointment for me and those around me. This year I am going to strive to be resolute about following Him as closely as I can.

Keep moving forward,

Greg

grace.mercy.peace.truth.love.action