Message from the Chairman for the New Year
I have been reading and meditating on the Book of Isaiah in the past two months. At my devotions in the past few days, the Lord led me to focus on Isaiah 9:6, a passage that foretold the coming of our Messiah, and a text that is often used for Christmas:
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
I would like to share with you my thoughts on the 4 descriptions of our Messiah used in the verse: Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. I believe that these words summarize the four key roles of our Savior and are instructive and transformational if we apply them to our lives.
COUNSELOR: the One who gives wisdom, direction, strategy, and purpose.
He is not only our advisor, but our guide, advocate, and mentor.
What KIND of counselor is He? Wonderful; astonishing; amazing; awesome; inspiring; magnificent; outstanding; sensational.
Does He SAVE? He saves us from our own folly and worldly wisdom. See 1 Corinthians 1:18-25.
APPLICATIONS:
To imitate Him (Eph. 5:1): Be wise. Learn wisdom and life direction from Him, His Word, and His people.
As a good Christian accountant: Be an objective, independent advisor that our clients and our people come to for wise counsel. Learn from the wisdom enshrined in the books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. (Start by reading a chapter a day from the Book of Proverbs in January 2011.)
GOD: Supreme Being; creator and ruler of the universe.
What KIND of God is He? Mighty; all-powerful; strong; valiant; all-present; orderly, good.
Does He SAVE? He saves us from worshipping idols and loving other gods. Other gods may include money, position, career, religion, etc. He saves us from our self-centeredness and resulting chaos. See Acts 17:22-31.
APPLICATIONS:
To imitate Him: Be strong. Be free from loving other gods.
As a good Christian accountant: Be strong in principle, be true, be fair, be an initiator of good causes, for God's and not for our own glory.
FATHER: Parent; abba; provider; protector; originator.
What KIND of father is He? Loving; eternal, faithful; unchanging; forgiving; true; always having the welfare of his children at heart.
Does He SAVE? He saves us from being fatherless. He saves us from our insecurity and seeking our identity from other 'fathers'. See Matthew 6:9-13.
APPLICATIONS:
To imitate Him: Be loving and accepting to our children (be they natural, relational, or spiritual), even when they do not meet our expectations and hopes. Read the story in Luke 15:11-32.
As a good Christian accountant: Be a good employer and provider to our employees and those who depend on us. Be a good teacher and role model.
PRINCE: Sovereign; monarch; ruler; royal.
What KIND of prince is He? Charming; noble; royal; elegant; graceful; one standing for peace, completeness, soundness, shalom. See Acts 5:31.
APPLICATIONS:
To imitate Him: Be noble, standing tall when others are acting small.
Be forgiving and overlooking the wrongs done to us by others.
As a good Christian accountant: Be thankful for the debits as well as the credits in our lives. Count the blessings that we can be thankful for in 2010. Share a good tangible thing with at least one other person in the next two weeks. Be a prince. Be exemplary.
The above are just rough sketches. I hope that by sharing these thoughts, they will spur you to think about the attributes of our great God and Savior during this Christmas and New Year. If God gives you other good or better thoughts, please share them with me, because I believe that the discovery of God's blessings is not individualistic but corporate.
One last thought I would leave with you: Given the 4 key roles of our Savior, what different actions or direction would you take in 2011?
May God bless you and your family wisely, mightily, eternally, and peacefully as we remember His Son's birth this Christmas!
David