New Year, New Choices [What Are Your Plans For 2021?]
As the new year is about to begin so are new years resolutions. With every new year, the same verse comes to mind and makes me question why society has created this dissolution that the only time we can change our lifestyle is within the first few weeks of the year.
Colossians 3:23-24 says "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."
God's Simple Instruction
If God's clear instruction is to do EVERYTHING for Him with all of our heart. Why, then, do we allow a worldly tradition to inspire us more than God's simple instruction? Are we more concerned with serving Christ or others? We say, "I don't allow people to dictate my life," but are we allowing ourselves and our own desires to dictate our lives rather than God?
Related Post: New Year! New Start! New You!
When Colossians says not to work for human masters, that includes ourselves. Sometimes, we listen to our own thoughts more than we listen to the leading of the Holy Spirit. We've all done our own thing and put God's will to the side to please ourselves. Absolutely no one is perfect. But that is the beauty in His grace and forgiveness. So how does this all tie into new years resolutions? Let's take a look at the word resolution.
About Resolutions
Res•o•lu•tion: A firm decision to do or not to do something.
In other words, to make a resolution is to make a decision. Obeying God is all on the decisions - or resolutions - we make.So, are we setting new years resolutions for God or for ourselves? When was the last time we prayed about what God wanted our resolutions to be? If He told us to do something drastic and out of our comfort zone, would we do It? Would we do it right now, or would we wait until it looks better, more rewarding, or easier?Or would we throw our cares and worries aside and wholeheartedly follow the call He has placed on our heart?
The Time for Resolutions
Society likes to tell us "new year, new you." The only difference, though, is the choices we decide to make. We are still the same person we were on December 31st, the same us that God created.Imagine how different would our lives look if we decided to move every time God said to move and not just at the beginning of the year. Imagine if we had as much fire in us to do whatever God leads us to do whenever He leads us to it, rather than just once a year. Our daily lives would be transformed.Let's start this year with faith like no other on a DAILY basis! Expectant hearts see God move in many ways while closed hearts tend to judge and question more than they receive. It's time to decide what kind of perspective we will have throughout the new year. We can be one time resolution makers, or we can daily make the decision to allow God to lead the way.
The Daily Resolution to Trust
It is in times like these that our hope and our faith becomes trust. All we have to do is trust that God will give us the strength and ability to conquer any situation and that He will give us the wisdom and discernment to know when and how to move forward.
“My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness...” 2 Corinthians 12:9
If we could do everything, then we wouldn't need God. In our humanness, we need God to make us whole, to fill us, and to give us the strength that we can't acquire on our own. We can trust Him to use even our weakest points and lowest moments to His glory as He works everything out for our good. Each day, it boils down to making a resolution to trust His good and perfect will and to take the steps to follow wherever He leads.So here's to the New Year, new choices, and a lifestyle that is powered by expectant hearts, fervent prayer, hope, faith, trust, and most importantly, love.