Breaking in the New Year--Part One

                  It’s the beginning of January and every year around this time we see lists of New Year’s Resolutions. People will make commitments to lose weight, rekindle friendships, focus on school, save money, give more, serve people more often, to read the bible more and maybe even pray every day. New Year’s Resolutions are a chance for people to start over, re-dedicate themselves and for the most part to turn the focus onto ourselves and essentially focus on “self-improvement”.  “This is the year that my life comes together, I take control and all is fixed.”  

            On New Year’s Eve I caught myself doing the exact same thing. I was in the middle of making a list of my goals for this year before I realized a much deeper implication of what I was doing. I recognized that my life is and has been messed up. I was able to recognize areas that I fail, identify things I want to improve, and choose a few new habits that I wanted to commit myself to. Many of these things were beneficial and even spiritual and faithful to what God has called me to. But my attitude and heart behind it was 100% wrong. I recognized that I am imperfect, that I have weaknesses and more than anything that I am without a doubt someone who struggles with all sorts of sin but I was making the decision to handle it myself. I was beginning to goal-set and come up with creative and smart ways for me to better myself and to be a better person. What I completely forgot to do was ask God for his input. I had 10 goals written down before I recognized God’s role in this year.  How could I ever defeat sin in my life without HIS provision, without HIS direction, without the strength, discipline, and commitment that only HE can supply? We cant. We can try, we can work hard, we can stay up late studying, we can spend hours in the gym, we can have great discipline and if we are somehow successful we failed to do what we are ultimately called to do—glorify God.

“Do not fear your weakness, for it is the stage on which My power and glory perform most brilliantly.”—Don’t remember where this is from but it is gold.

“Simply showing up on Sundays is not even close to worship. Neither does singing songs with religious content pass for worship. What counts is the posture of the soul involved, the open heart pouring forth its love toward God and communing with him.”—Journey of Desire

1st Corinthians 10:31-33                                                                                                                                                     “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved”

                  I vote we turn this mentality around. How about we make this the year that we finally commit ourselves to the LORD, commit ourselves to loving him and glorifying him? Let our love and passion for God change the way we live, give us reason to serve, energy to study, desire to be healthy. Let’s turn the focus off of ourselves and onto the LORD whose image we were created in, who we were created to serve and created to glorify. Keep your list of resolutions but instead of focusing on how you can be improved ask yourself, “Does this honor God’s plan for me? Does this glorify Him?”