Be your own man. That’s biblical. Paul says, in Romans 12:6, “Having gifts then differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them…” Actually, you can’t be anyone but yourself. To seek to be otherwise is to play the hypocrite. Can you imagine how many problems would be solved if people would just be themselves? And what work could be done? All it takes is for everyone to contribute what he can. It’s imperative that each one of us do what he can with what he has where he is. It’s hard enough just being yourself, but it’s really hard to be someone you’re not.

Give in to goodness. God is good. All that He requires is good. His word is good (John 17:17). When you give in to goodness, you act in a way that accords with the gospel of Christ. Even the smallest act of kindness is approved by God—even if it’s done when no one is looking. In fact, especially when no one is looking. Goodness is determined by the word of God. It not only defines goodness, it illustrates it in so many different ways by showing us all kinds of good and bad people. Remember, true goodness is often determined by an act of kindness performed when it cannot possibly benefit the doer. That’s Jesus’ kind of goodness. “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin” (James 4:17).

Expose yourself to enthusiasm. Enthusiasm seems to me to be properly defined as caring—really caring—for something. “As many as were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word” (Acts 8:4) is a statement of the genuine care the early converts had for the gospel of Jesus Christ. They were so involved with it they could hardly help but tell someone about it. I am convinced that we too often take the gospel for granted. We don’t stop to think about what it has done for us. We don’t assign a high enough value to the fact of our forgiveness. We don’t consider carefully the need to propagate it. We just don’t get excited about it. Paul said, “Though I preach the gospel, I have nothing whereof to glory, for necessity is laid upon me. Yea, woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel” (1 Cor. 9:16). He is not saying he needs to preach the right gospel, though that is certainly so; he is saying I can’t help but preach it. Should our enthusiasm be any less?

Step out of your own shadow. I verily believe selfishness to be the biggest deterrent to determined service to God. We become so enamored with our own projects, so in love with our own wishes and wants that we don’t have any time for a consideration for others. “Love thy neighbor as thyself” is a hard command. It takes concentration. It takes determination. It takes stepping out of your own shadow to consider the plight and needs of those round about you. “Be kindly affectioned to one another with brotherly love, in honor preferring one another” (Romans 12:10). Now, folks that’s hard. It means you have to run the risk of getting involved with others, even if it’s inconvenient, even if it means you have to leave off something you’d rather be doing, even if it means you might get egg on your face or be criticized by others. But what a joy it is to be able to do for others, to know you’ve helped—even if they can’t reciprocate. It’s just good to do good.

Obey the law of challenge and response. I made only one New Year’s resolution this year: “challenge thyself.” I have to engage a big, fat a self- confrontation to do that. It’s easy to just go with the flow, to just let things happen as they will. But the Christian must be someone who makes a difference. He has to let his light shine (Matthew 5:16), and if you’re going to do that, you have to first turn on your light. That means you concentrate on an effort to do something about situations in which you are involved, to help people to see Jesus in your activities, and to manage your affairs so that He is glorified in all that you do. Do you see a challenge in that? I do. I verily believe that if you will make the challenge, something in you will respond. Challenge makes you accountable for something instead of being someone who just follows the current current. “We ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have learned lest at any time we should let them slip” (Hebrews 12:2).

See? Don’t you think those are good things to guide you toward a constant self- renewal. “Examine yourself” is a hard command, but a necessary one.

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