“Let Us Examine and Probe Our Ways”
Have you ever thought about why January is called January?
I remember being taught about the origins of the names of the months long ago, of course exactly when is lost in the mists of my mind. [And most likely filed under “Misc.”]
Upon consulting the oracle called ‘the web,’ I found the month of January is (mostly) considered named after the Roman god Janus.
Janus, the Roman god with Two Faces
Janus is one of those rare beasts: a god of the Romans before they adopted [co-opted?] the Greek gods.
From ancientorigin.net:
Unlike many of the deities worshipped by the Romans, Janus does not have a Greek counterpart or equivalent.
Janus was the Roman god “of beginnings, gates, transitions, time, duality, doorways, passages, frames, and endings.”
Janus was the Roman god of the “first steps of a journey.”
Janus was the god who ushered people through both figurative and literal doorways/ gateways into “a new phase or period of their lives.”
Janus was often pictured as having two faces: one face looking back to the past year and one face looking toward the coming year.
From greekmythology.com:
This imagery symbolized his ability to see both into the past and into the future, embodying the concept of transition and time.
In other words,
Janus’ two faces allowed him to transcend the boundaries of space and time.
He was portrayed as a deity who could see in both directions of time – the future and the past.
This explains why he was described as the master of time.
Furthermore,
The ancient Romans believed that he was the intermediary between one’s dreams and reality – between abstract entities and actualized goals.
Ancient Romans believed that Janus had the key to doors or gateways; thus he stood guard at the door and transported people from what was to what is to become.
Being the deity in charge of transitions, Janus also stood between life and death, childhood and adulthood, war and peace, beginning and ending, and so on.
January as a Time of Reflection and Self-Examination
What if, we too, looked back at the past year?
What if, we too, recognized our faults and failures?
What if, we too, acknowledged
- the times we ignored the “still, small voice” of YHVH;
- the times when we disregarded the word of the Prophet whom we are to shama8105 (to “hear and obey”)?
- the times when we discounted the voice of Good Shepherd, whose voice we are to know and to follow?
- the times when we failed to heed the leadings of the In-dwelling Spirit?
Biblical Basis for Retrospection
The Word of YeHoVaH encourages personal examination as an element of spiritual growth.
40 Let us examine and probe our ways, And let us return to the LORD. Lamentations 3:40-41 NASB
1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
3 For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. Romans 12:1-3 NASB
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.
16 Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. Romans 12:14-16 NASB
5Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves!
Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you – unless indeed you fail the test? 2 Corinthians 13:5 NASB
2 Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.
3 For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
4 But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another. Galatians 6:2-4 NASB
January as a Time of Planning and Preparation
What then, if we too, looked forward to a new year?
No, rather, a re-newed year?
And not by making ‘New Year’s Resolutions.’
See
No More New Year’s Resolutions! – Part 1
No More New Year’s Resolutions! – Part 2
No More New Year’s Resolutions! – Part 3
While everyone else this month is looking forward, I encourage you to first look back.
I urge you to review, reflect, evaluate your life, especially your spiritual growth, your spiritual maturity.
By looking back,
- We can see our missteps, faults, and failures.
- We can see our areas needing attention and improvement.
- We can see our strengths, as well as our weaknesses.
With self-knowledge, we can plan, strategize, re-direct our steps toward spiritual growth.
With self-understanding, we can commit time and energy to become and be a Disciple, to become and be a DiscipleMaker.
With Spirit-given wisdom, we can choose to submit, to yield, to transform by and through the power of the Holy Spirit.
What If?
What if, with a re-newed focus, we pursued DISCIPLESHIP, following the model shown to us by the Son of YeHoVaH, our Saviour and our Sovereign?
What if we DESIRED, then DECIDED, to live in the Father’s Will, by His Way, The Way?
What if we DEVELOPED a DIRECTION, a personal plan, of how to live and grow in spiritual maturity?
What if we DEDICATED ourself to be a Disciple – being, doing, living, a Christ-like life – as taught by our Messiah?
What if we DENIED ourself, our body, in order to live our life in Obedience, Alignment, and Unity with the One True God – YeHoVaH?
What if we DETERMINED, then DEVOTED ourself, our life, to becoming a Disciple and a DiscipleMaker, discipling [not merely disciplining] from the knowledge learned and the enlightenment given by and through the Holy Spirit?
What if …
…we DARED?
Blessings,
TLThomas
Please join me in this journey of discovery.
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Regardless, take what I say and CHECK IT OUT FOR YOURSELF!
It’s ok to doubt, if you check it out!
Be a Berean!
10 The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews.
11 Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.
© 2024 TLThomas