December 31 2025

Wednesday December 31

Have a Blessed New Year!

1 Timothy 4:7-9

“But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance.”

Welcome to Pastor’s Chat. This is the time of year when we often say, “Merry Christmas” and “Happy New Year.” Christmas has already passed, and now we are preparing to begin a new year. I’m not so sure that “Happy New Year” is always the best expression, because happiness, for the most part, is based on happenings. If everything goes well—if things turn out the way I want them to—then I’m happy. If something happens that I don’t like, then I’m unhappy. What we really ought to say is, “Have a blessed New Year.”

Jesus tells us what it means to be blessed in Matthew 5. “Blessed are the poor in spirit. Blessed are the meek. Blessed are the pure in heart. Blessed are the peacemakers.” He gives us about eight “blesseds.” What He is teaching us is this: when you are blessed by God—when you do what you ought to do in the power of the Holy Spirit—you will experience true happiness. You will have joy in your heart. Why? Because you are trusting the Lord with every area of your life. To be truly blessed is to have God’s smile on your life and even in the tough and difficult times you know the God has your back and that all things will work together for good (Romans 8:28).

That kind of life happens as we discipline ourselves as disciples of Jesus Christ to do the right things. That is why we are talking about 1 Timothy 4:7, where Paul writes to Timothy and says, “Have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women.” In other words, don’t waste your time with worldly stories, distractions, or ideas that have no lasting value—and often aren’t even true. We can get so distracted by what’s going on socially, economically, or politically. Paul says, Don’t give your time and attention to those things.

“On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness. For bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things.” We want to talk about what it means to be disciplined for the purpose of godliness. As we said yesterday, discipline means that you go to the spiritual gym, so to speak. You put yourself in the pathway of God’s grace. You do the things that build spiritual growth in your life. You establish a foundation for living each day by doing what you ought to do, rather than simply what you feel like doing. My friend, that takes discipline to be in the Word of God.

The Apostle Paul, in 2 Timothy 2:3-6, told Timothy to be a good soldier of Jesus Christ. That speaks of the discipline of a soldier. Then he goes on to talk about an athlete—how an athlete trains and disciplines himself in order to win the prize. He also speaks of the discipline of a farmer—a hardworking farmer who gets up early, sows at the right time of year, and does what he may not always want to do, but must do if he is going to reap a harvest in the fall.

My friend, that is description of the Christian life that pleases the Lord. We don’t do this in our own strength. We do it in the strength and power of the Holy Spirit and by the energy He supplies as we set our hearts on pleasing Him and doing what is right every day.

Yes, physical exercise profits a little. It is good to eat right and to exercise properly. But my friend, it is far more profitable to pursue godliness. Godliness affects our relationship with God. It shapes our character. It influences our relationships with others. It impacts our peace, our wisdom, and our joy—and ultimately, even our eternity.

Notice that Paul says godliness holds “promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” It matters now, and it matters forever. When you discipline yourself for this purpose, you are not only living to please the Lord today—you are living with eternity in view. Your sights are set on heaven, on the day when you will stand before the Lord and hear, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”

Tomorrow, I want to talk with you about some specific, practical things we can do on a daily basis as we discipline ourselves for the purpose of godliness.

God bless you, and you have a wonderful, wonderful day.