New Year’s Resolution

Readings for today: Genesis 1-2

“Now the earth was without shape and empty, and darkness was over the surface of the watery deep, but the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the water.” (Genesis‬ ‭1‬:‭2‬ ‭NET‬‬)

In many ways, each new year begins “without shape and empty.” The future is dark and uncertain and unknown. Sure, we all have our plans. We all make our resolutions. We all know how we would like each year to go but how many years actually go to plan? How many years follow the script we lay out in early January? Take a moment and reflect back on the past year. How many of your resolutions did you end up keeping? Did you stick with your diet? How often did you go to the gym? Did you save what you hoped? Did your investments pan out? Did you achieve the professional success you hoped for? Did you earn that degree? Did your relationships improve with those you love? Did you read through the Bible in a year? ;-) If you are like most, you won some and lost some. Life didn’t go quite the way you wanted.. The year didn’t turn out the way you hoped. Unexpected expenses came up. Unexpected obstacles got in your way. Unexpected crises derailed even your best laid plans.

So what if 2026 is different? What if, instead of you making your plans and setting your goals for this year, you let God fill the empty space? You ask God to shape what is currently “without shape” and form what is currently “formless?” What if you let God be the light in the darkness? The lamp for your feet and the light for your path? What if you let God order the chaos of your life rather than striving so hard to bring things under control? At the dawn of creation, everything was shapeless. The universe was void and empty. There was nothing but darkness and chaos. And life can feel that way at times. But the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the primordial deep just like He’s moving over the surface of your life today. What if you let Him set the agenda for your life this year? What if you asked Him to reveal His plan for your life before you made your own?

I know this may sound scary if you’ve never done it before. It’s not easy for us to give up control. You may not even know where to begin. That’s okay. All of us have to start somewhere. Thankfully, it’s not complex. Start small. Pray and ask God to show you what He wants for your life on a given day. Ask Him for wisdom for every decision. Ask Him for grace for every relationship. Ask Him to give you a heart of compassion and mercy for everyone you meet. Ask Him for power to meet every challenge. At the end of each day, take a few moments to review how things went. Where did you see God show up? How did you feel throughout the day? What were the points of tension? What were the moments when you felt at peace? Is there anything unresolved? Anything left unformed? Empty? Dark? Ask the Spirit of God to order those places that remain chaotic and trust Him with the result.

It’s important to note this is not a call to passivity. It’s not a call to sit back and do nothing. Quite the opposite. In my experience, the Spirit of God will challenge and stretch you in ways you never would have chosen for yourself. In fact, He will often take you beyond your strength and beyond your wisdom and beyond your ability so that you learn to rely on Him. But as you partner with Him, you will find yourself more fulfilled and more satisfied than you could possibly imagine. So take it one day at a time. Don’t sweat it if you fall short or forget. Get right back into it and let the Lord fill your life. Trust when I tell you it will be worth it!

Readings for tomorrow: John 1:1-3, Psalms 8, 104

New Year’s Resolutions

Readings for today: Zechariah 7-9, Revelation 19

What are your resolutions for the coming year? The promises you are making yourself? Is it to eat better? Exercise more regularly? Is it to stop drinking? Stop smoking? Conquer some other addiction in your life? Is it to dream bigger? Start a new business? Launch out on a new career? Is it to try something new? Learn something you never thought you could? Is it to make more time for those you love? Slow down? Simplify? All of these are good. All of them have their place. But what would happen if we challenged ourselves to go deeper? To make our New Year’s Resolutions really count?

Listen to these words from the prophet Zechariah…”Thus says the Lord of hosts, render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.” (Zechariah 8:9-10) What would it look like in the coming year if we took these words to heart? How much would our lives change if we clung to the truth over all the lies? Plucked up the courage to be kind and merciful in a world of anger, bitterness, and hate? What if we cared for the widow, the orphan, the foreigner, and the poor rather than spending so much time and energy and resources on ourselves? What if we refused to give in to the temptation to tear others down, take revenge, or devise any other kind of evil in our hearts? Imagine for a moment every single Christian in the world committing themselves to these two verses for 2022. Imagine 3 billion people or more truly seeking to live these words out on a daily basis. Do you not think the world would change?

Of course, we have to deal with the reality that we all struggle to keep our resolutions. Studies show four out of five people end up breaking the commitments they make for the new year. Fully one-third barely make it past the first month. Why? Because we are often trying to accomplish these goals through sheer will-power alone. We try to make these changes without help. Without accountability. Without relying on anyone’s strength but our own. This is where we always fall short. So where do we go to find the strength we need? I’m glad you asked! ;-) I love the words of the Psalmist, “Don’t put your confidence in powerful people (including yourself!); there is no help for you there. When they breathe their last, they return to the earth, and all their plans die with them. But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the Lord their God.” (Psalms 146:3-5) Friends, God alone can give you the strength to change. He alone can give you the courage to keep your resolutions in the coming year. But they must be aligned with His will. They must be submitted to His way. And we must humbly surrender our lives into His hands.

What does that look like practically? How does that work itself out in our day to day? You’ve heard me say it before but I will definitely say it again (and again and again and again)…

1) Spend time with God every day. Intentionally place yourself before Him and ask God to help you look at your life and the world around you through His eyes. (In fact, you can sign up with us to read through the Bible again next year! Love to have you join us for yet another run through!)

2) Gather with a local church family in corporate worship each week. Put it on your schedule right now. Before all the activities and opportunities begin to crowd God out. God promises to meet His people wherever two or three or more are gathered in His name.

3) Find a small group of friends to intentionally pursue Jesus with. Pursue relationships of authenticity and transparency and accountability. Deep spiritual friendships don’t happen by accident. They require intentionality and sacrifice.

4) Find a place to serve. Inside the church. Outside the church. Both. Find a way to get involved in God’s mission to reach the lost and to teach others all He has commanded us as believers. We were created to carry God’s image to the ends of the earth. Get in touch with why you were made.

Recently in some devotional reading, I ran across this great quote from 20th century Christian missionary and statesman, Frank Laubach… “If anybody were to ask me how to find God I should say at once, hunt out the deepest need you can find and forget all about your own comfort while you try to meet that need. Talk to God about it and He will meet you there. You will know it.” I believe this with all my heart because I have seen and experienced it with my own eyes. When I have gotten engaged in God’s mission in the world, I have found Him waiting for me there. My faith grows. My heart breaks. My eyes fill with tears. And I realize God is changing me. Giving me His heart of compassion. His heart of love. His heart of mercy. And I am overwhelmed with deep thankfulness. This thankfulness spills over into my everyday life. I become a better husband and father. A wiser pastor. A more faithful friend.

So take a pic of those verses from Zechariah. Print them out. Write them in your journal. Put them on your Home Screen. Do whatever it takes to plant them deep within your heart and watch God go to work in and through your life in the coming year.

Readings for tomorrow: Zechariah 10-14, Malachi 1-4, Revelation 20-22