I want to encourage you to stay motivated as you start out this new year strong. As you give this month, I want to offer you Jerry’s audio message, See It, Say It, Seize It. Don’t let the enemy, others around you, or present circumstances steal what’s been rightly given to you by God! Click here now ⟩
Have you ever heard the phrase, carpe diem? It’s a Latin saying that is usually translated as "seize the day”. Carpe is another form of the word carpō, which means to “pick or pluck.” It is often translated "enjoy, or to make use of", while diem relates to the word "day". So, a more literal translation of carpe diem would be "to pluck the day as if it is ripe,” or “to enjoy (or make the most of) the moment, no matter how fleeting.”
As believers, it’s imperative that we make the most of the time we have left on Earth, because time flies whether we want it to or not!
James 4:14 tells us, “Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”
Imagine each new day is like a ripe piece of fruit just waiting to be eaten. It’s perishable, but also full of possibilities and potential benefits. So, how do we seize these moments, enjoy the fruit that they represent, and make the most out of each one of our days?
Rejoice in the fact that God created us in His very image and likeness.
Genesis 1:27 says, “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God He created them."
We have been created in the image of the most powerful being in the universe, which means we can do so many amazing things with the time we have. Doesn’t it excite you knowing that you can walk in this kind of power every single day of your life?
Know that we’ve each been created for a certain purpose.
Psalms 118:24 tells us, “This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” Every day is a gift from God and an opportunity to honor Him based on how we live it.
In Matthew 22:36-40, A Pharisee once asked Jesus out of all God’s rules, which one is the most important to obey? This is what Jesus had to say:
“‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”
Later in Matthew 28:18-20, which takes place after Jesus’s death and resurrection, this is the last thing He had to say to His disciples before ascending to heaven:
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Our goal in life as believers is to know God, to love God, and to share His love to those around us. That means that we’re all in the ministry, regardless of whether we’re called to be preachers or not.
We must condition our minds to see the world the way God sees it.
To live in this world and remain uninhibited by its limitations, we must make a decision to spend time with God and spend time in His Word. This is not something that should be done sporadically, but continually.
Romans 12:2 NIV tells us, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is— His good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Re is a prefix, that’s used to mean “again” or “again and again”, which indicates repetition. The definition of the word renew is to make new spiritually, to regenerate, to restore to existence, or to revive.
When I see that word, I don’t think of it as a one-time thing. We must renew our minds to God’s Word every single day.
Developing this level of consistency is the key to experiencing victory every single day. When it comes to living this life of faith, we need to be like a dog determined to keep his chew toy; we keep holding onto what the Word says and we never let go!
We shape the world we live in with our words.
Pay attention to the next two verses I’m about to share. When they are read together, I believe they give us great insight into a key tool in our spiritual arsenal.
In Deuteronomy 30:19, Moses tells the children of Israel, “This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.”
Then, Proverbs 18:21 says, “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”
I don’t think it’s coincidence that those two verses share such similar phrasing.
Hebrews 11:3 tells us, “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.”
Our words have power! Every day, we choose to embrace life or embrace death through the words we speak. It’s not enough for us to think good thoughts; we must use our voice if we hope to have victory in life.
Listen to what James 3:4-12 tells us about the destructive power the tongue has if left unchecked:
"4 Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. 5 Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. 8 But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. 10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? 12 Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh."
If we’re not careful, our words can get us into a lot of trouble! As believers, we must refuse to give negative speech any place in our lives.
When Jerry first transitioned to Heaven, I often mentioned how much I missed him. When you’ve been married to the love of your life for as long as I have, it can be challenging not to! Over time, however, I started to change my confession: instead of lamenting my loss, I began to thank God for the many precious moments I had with my husband. Now, whenever grief tries to rear its head, I choose to thank God for the 57 wonderful years of marriage Jerry and I had together. Now, I turn sorrow into an opportunity to praise my ever-faithful God!
I want to encourage you to stay motivated as you start out this new year strong. As you give this month, I want to offer you Jerry’s audio message, See It, Say It, Seize It. Don’t let the enemy, others around you, or present circumstances steal what’s been rightly given to you by God!
To give securely online, simply go to jerrysavelle.org, and we’ll send you a MP3 download of this teaching. You can also give by calling toll-free at 866-576-4872, or by texting “GIVE” to 817-835-9625. If you prefer, you can use the enclosed reply letter and postage-paid envelope to give and request the message on CD.
As you enter this new year, be mindful of your Godly heritage, your heavenly purpose, your responsibility to renew your mind, and the power of words. If you do, I know you’ll have everything you’ll need to seize the day and make 2025 the best year you’ve ever experienced!
In His love and mine,
Carolyn Savelle
P.S. 2025 is an opportunity for each one of us to have a fresh start! Philippians 3:13-14 says, “forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus”.
Don’t look back at the missteps of 2024; instead, look at all the time you have left in this new year to make it right. God doesn’t look at the failures of the past, and neither should you!
