I love the beginning of a new year. I guess it’s just the idea of a fresh start that I find so appealing. No more baggage to carry around, no more failed attempts…just a brand new beginning.
Now for the big question–what are you going to do about it?
A lot of people make resolutions. Some stick, some don’t. But have you ever really stopped to think about what it means to resolve something?
The word, resolve, means to solve again (re [again] solve [find a solution]). All of us have problems that we need to solve and these are the roots of our resolutions. Perhaps the problem is being in debt, or being overweight, or being too busy. All of these are very real problems that can easily pull us away from our true purpose in life. But, if we want to solve these problems again, then we have to make resolutions with real strength and force behind them.
It’s about to be a brand new year. It’s not a time to make wishes. Wishes are flimsy and fickle. They don’t last and they don’t have the fortitude to support us in our weakness. What you need is a resolution, a real resolution.
Just the term resolution, implies that it is not a “quick fix” but a solution that we come to again and again. It’s a process.
This is not a time to decide to be good enough. It’s time to lift our standards up, waaaay up. Check out what Jesus expects of us:
“You, therefore, must be perfect [growing into complete maturity of godliness in mind and character, having reached the proper height of virtue and integrity], as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matthew 5:48
Perfect? Wow, that’s a pretty tall order; isn’t it? But, there’s one thing we have to understand. God doesn’t expect us to be perfect now, but to always be in a process of being perfected. Paul wrote about this when he said,
“Not that I have now attained [this ideal], or have already been made perfect, but I press on to lay hold of (grasp) {and} make my own, that for which Christ Jesus (the Messiah) has laid hold of me {and} made me His own.” Philippians 3:14
There’s the trick–WE PRESS ON! When you resolve to do something, make sure that it lines up with the purpose that God has given you. When we make our decisions based on the will of God, instead of our own personal wants and whims, then He pours His power through us to make it happen. We can PRESS ON daily because God is clearing the way before us and supporting us from behind.
When you make your resolutions this year, let your first one be to put God in charge of the direction of your life. This is true resolution and it will not ever disappoint.
So, what are you RESOLVING to do in 2013?
Laundry Mom~Hannah♥
