Resolve: Who Does God Say I Am?

It’s the eve of a New Year and I don’t know about you but I always feel this overwhelming pressure to figure out what I did wrong in the past year and quickly remedy it with what I can do better in the New Year.  Now there is nothing wrong with bettering yourself, or following your dreams, but why do we always have to wait until a new year to have a fresh start?

With Jesus, we can always have a fresh start!  We can begin again, or resolve to be “better” at anytime.  In fact I think waiting for the new year, or waiting for Monday, or next month or after the holidays, is just another excuse we give ourselves so that we can have more time doing exactly what we have been doing,…which is exactly what we don’t want to be doing!  Now how crazy is that!? 

Now before you get all funky on me and stop reading this post, know that I say this because I do it all the time!  And I’m sick of it!  The only time we have to work with is right now!  Not tomorrow, not next week, next month, next year…we have right now!  So put down the donut, get off your couch, walk out the door, put down the bottle (just to name a few) and start changing your life right now! 

Why do we care so much about things that are so unimportant?  We have a misplaced value system in this world that needs to change.  We put value in things of little importance yet fail to value priceless things such as our minds, bodies and most importantly our souls!

So if we really need to make a new years resolution, here is what I feel let to share, as a healthy way of doing it. 

1. Reflect back on all this year has been.  Walk through each defining moment.   The good, the bad,     the sad, and even the ugly.  But don’t sit there and beat yourself up.  It so easy to reflect and focus only on what you did wrong.  Make sure you dwell and encourage yourself for the moments you did well, even if they didn’t last as long as you would have liked them to. 

2. Respond to how it makes you feel, what it makes you think, and what it makes you do.  You may need to cringe, cry, laugh, smile, or even scream. Don’t dwell here to long.  But allowing yourself to feel is very important. Because then you can let it go!

3. Regroup…. meaning forgive yourself and remember that what really defines you is God.  Set your heart and mind on His truth.  Resolve to walk in a attitude of Godliness.  Remind yourself of your true worth and meditate on the things that God has called all His children to be and do.  Pray and ask God to reveal to you, if He has not already, what He has specifically called for you.  Ask His Spirit to guide you through what next steps you need to take to make sure you are walking in the footsteps God has laid before you to follow.

4. Resolve.  But instead of looking to what the world says you should resolve to be…i.e. thinner, prettier, successful, and talented, ask yourself what has God ask me to resolve to be? And more importantly, who does God say I already am simply because I am His? 

We have a power that comes simply from being called children of God and because of that power we have the authority to simply walk away from our addictions and shame and never look back.  Let us stop allowing satan to hold us captive in lies, temptation and guilt.  In fact if we must have resolutions, let it be a resolve to not long allow ourselves to be held captive in chains that are no longer upon us.  Let us resolve to walk in truth, freedom and grace and let us resolve to believe the truth!  We are free in Jesus name! 

Happy New Year!  God Bless you all!!