The cliche that envelopes New Year's resolutions is hard to get past as I get older. For the last couple of years I haven't even made any. I tell myself it's silly. I know myself well enough to know that I'll only stick with it for a couple of weeks. Again, I find a reason to not face the things in my life that need work. The more times I resolve to change something about myself or improve myself or eliminate a bad habit, the more times I subject myself to the possibility of failure. And as I age, I reason that if I'm not going to succeed, I need not expend myself. Why waste the effort? It has become a little disheartening.
I'm sure glad that Jesus Christ felt differently than I do. I'm sure glad that when He knew what he had to do, He just did it. He did it all the way. He did it knowing what it would cost Him. He did it when everyone in His world told him no.....there's got to be another way.....
Heck, I bail out because there's a possibility of loss, pain, failure, suffering, etc. Christ knew he would die for us and He came anyway. He did it so that my shortcomings and failures are not what's important. He died so that I never need to be afraid of failing again. He died so that I don't need to make resolutions. I'm saved by His grace even if....no, because I'm imperfect. That's resolution. That's something to pay attention to.
You see, it's always seemed so right to keep trying to change everything until things fell perfectly into place. I've got news for you, things won't. Ever. Not on earth. What I'm learning to do is look at my world differently, not try to make my world look different. I think we waste too much time trying to perfect our situations when our situations are subject to how we live and how we look at ourselves. We just don't know how to look at ourselves as children of God. God hasn't created me so that I can try to change Creation. He created me to appreciate Creation. He created me to love Him. He created me so He could love me.
You know what? He did the same for you. He created you out of love, for the sake of love. He created us because together we can accomplish more than we can alone. He created us to be His body and His children....not so that we could go around trying to improve on what He's already done, but so that we can know that He is the Good Father. Do you encourage your children to try to change everything you've planned for them? Or do you want them to just be your children and appreciate that...to just know that you love them, and to just let you be the loving parent?
I will always think of things that I need to do better....respect the body that God has given me, speak more kindly, and shine brighter. But these are not improvements. These are things I was created to do but have chosen not to do. These are things that I should resolve daily to do. These are things that should become my nature, not a project or a checklist.
So let's do something together this year. Let's agree to stop trying to find different places to make us feel happy. Let's stop trying to change the landscape. Let's start looking at what's already here with new eyes. Let's let God do the creating and improving in the world and we'll watch for opportunities that He puts before us to show in practical, loving ways how awesome it is to be His child.
Happy New Year to all. I hope Jesus Christ finds a way into your heart and life so that you may experience all that He has for you.
Peace,
Mike
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