𝓗𝓮𝓵𝓵𝓸, 2024
I know we are already a few (+) days in, and I’m late to the party, but the pressure of posting and making resolutions hasn't been my top priority, and I am perfectly ok with that!
Ok... let me rephrase. I am learning to be OK with that!
It's a brand new year, with a fresh new calendar and a new page in a brand-new journal where we can write a brand-new story if we so choose.
A fresh new clean slate and restart of our lives.
Because 2024 must be better than 2023, right?
How many times have we said that year after year, yet nothing changes?
Each year, we sound like a broken record, and each year, we go into the New Year disappointed that we didn't accomplish our previous year's resolutions.
We view the turning of a calendar as if we obtain a clean slate to start all over again with the #1 lingering question everyone wants the answer to:
"What is your New Year's resolution?"
As a society, we often put pressure on ourselves to set resolutions and goals every time a new year approaches. It is a heavy burden to some that we are just not meant to carry. However, we need to understand that there is no magical power in the turning of a calendar or in making a resolution. It is merely an opportunity for us to shift our mindset, to be more open to new ideas, and to embrace new opportunities and perspectives.
While I don't believe in the magical powers of a new calendar year, I do believe that seeking God can bring divine power to our lives. If we choose to pursue a relationship with Jesus Christ and seek Him as the solution to the things we want to change in our lives, He can help us overcome and conquer our resolutions.
New Year's resolutions are not the solution to our problems; Jesus is.
Why don't we allow Him to divinely take control?
But here is the thing.
It requires surrender. And I believe as a society, we tend to struggle with that. I know I do.
Instead of making New Year's resolutions or goals, ask God how you can grow in deeper intimacy and dependencey with Him this year. Put the pressure of making your New Year’s resolutions aside and seek the One True Solution in our lives: Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, and Savior who loves us too much to let us stay the same. Like Paul states in Romans 8:29, God's ultimate goal is to make us more like Christ. Is there anyone greater than He to imitate?
In my opinion, there is no one.
The new year is an opportunity to break away from old habits and embrace new and exciting possibilities. It's an opportunity to allow God to come into your life and transform you into a new creation, as mentioned in 2 Corinthians 5:17. However, we must also remember that every day is a gift from God, and every morning brings new opportunities to start fresh. As mentioned in Lamentations 3:22-23, God's mercies are new daily. So, if you choose to make a resolution today, next month, or even next year to grow deeper in intimacy and dependency, you will be making a commitment that will last for eternity.
You cannot go wrong with that.
As we come to the end of a season where "believing is seeing", remember that Christ calls us to believe without sight John 20:28-29. The path and plan of what's to come are not meant to be seen with crystal clear clarity but with a deep yearning for intimacy and dependency on the one who guides our steps Proverbs 3:6. We can make all the plans and resolutions our happy little hearts desire, but at the end of the day, God ultimately is the One in control. Sometimes, we just get too stubborn to admit it.
So when you ask me, "What is my resolution for 2024?"
I want His Word to have more meaning and a deeper impact on my heart.
I want His Word to come alive in my life like never before.
I want my heart to break for what breaks His and to see my sin that is deep within.
I want to be able to truly repent more and see my sin for what it is.
I want to deeply and intimately know the person I will be spending my eternal life with.
e·ter·nal
/əˈtərn(ə)l/
adjective
lasting or existing forever; without end or beginning.
I want to trust Him more.
I want to grow deeper and more in love, intimacy, and dependency on the Creator of my story.
I want more of Jesus going forward, and in order for the above to happen, I must decrease, and He must increase.
He must increase,
but I must decrease.
I want to learn to love the Lord well and let His lavish love pour into my heart so that the abundance of love can overflow to others whom God divinely places in my path.
I want eyes to see these divine appointments and not to let them go with regret of not doing what I know the Holy Spirit was prompting me to do.
I want...
Less judging, more caring
Less selfishness, more selflessness
Less hoarding, more giving
Less world, more Word
Less ignoring, more obeying
Less worrying, more praying
Less doubt, more belief
Less reckless thoughts, more worship
Less pouting, more praising
Less idols, more God
Less me, more Jesus
I know life with Christ isn't about what I want, but what His will for my life is, but these resolutions, I believe, are all ones God is looking down on me and saying, "Ok, let's go."
He probably is also saying... do you know what you are asking for?
Hold on, it's going to be a wild ride!
How about you? Do you want to grow deeper with the Lord too?
The only way this will happen is if we seek the Creator of our story and make Him our top priority. God’s already gone before me (and you) in the 2024 story; it’s up to me to trust Him, obey Him, and not fear what’s in store. His plans are trustworthy, even when they don't make sense to our finite minds; His infinite ways are far greater and, from an eternal perspective, better for us.
”Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”
𝓜𝔂 𝓭𝓮𝓪𝓻 𝓼𝓲𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓲𝓷 𝓒𝓱𝓻𝓲𝓼𝓽, 𝓙𝓮𝓼𝓾𝓼 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓼 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓭𝓮𝓮𝓹𝓵𝔂. He wants to lavishly pour out His love into you. Feel the warmth of His loving arms wrapping around you as He whispers in your ear, "I got you." He wants to adore you in ways the world never will be able to. His plan is perfect for you. Jesus is for you, not against you. Don't settle for less than what God wants to bless you with. God wants you to stop struggling alone in life and start thriving with Christ by your side.
Feel free to take the pressure off of doing this perfectly and just seek the One who is the author of your story and perfector of your faith. See Hebrew 12:2. He isn't seeking perfection from you, but intentionally to put Him in the priority order He belongs in.
Jesus is reaching. What do you say? Are you ready to run into His arms?
So what does this look like for me to accomplish growing deeper?
In order for my 'grow deeper' resolution to come to fruition, I need to take some distractions off my plate so I can truly focus on growing deeper. So, I will be taking the pressure off of scrolling through social media and posting as often as I have in the past. Don't worry; I don't believe God has called me to call it quits completely. Just shifting my focus and priorities from a worldly perspective to a Word-driven point of view.
As I pull the pressure off of those things, I will be putting the pressure on to keep my priorities and promises to the Lord in check.
God first
Husband
Children
My ministry work at Discover Hope 517
Serving in my Church
Everything else.
When I do this, I trust that everything else will fall into its perfect placement and priority. #ChasingJesusin2024, who's with me?
The rewards for cultivating this type of intimacy and dependency are out of this world. Literally 😉. The truth is, we need to surrender to the fact that the cost of denying Him is deadly.
So feel free to take the pressure off yourself of making worldly resolutions and just seek the Solution, Savior, and Creator who already has your story laid out before you.
It's ok if you only get bits and pieces at a time.
It was meant to be this way. Just grow and learn to trust Him this year.
He is waiting.
Pray with me, pray this for yourself, pray it for your sisters and brothers in Christ!
𝐿𝑜𝓇𝒹, 𝐼 𝒶𝓂 𝓅𝓊𝓉𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝟤𝟢𝟤𝟦 𝒾𝓃 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝒽𝒶𝓃𝒹𝓈, 𝒽𝑒𝓁𝓅 𝓂𝑒 𝓉𝑜 𝓇𝑒𝓁𝑒𝒶𝓈𝑒 𝓂𝓎 𝓅𝓁𝒶𝓃𝓈 𝓉𝑜 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝑔𝑒𝓉 𝑜𝓊𝓉 𝑜𝒻 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝓌𝒶𝓎. 𝐼 𝓉𝓇𝓊𝓈𝓉 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝓅𝓁𝒶𝓃𝓈 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝒷𝑒𝓉𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓃 𝓂𝓎 𝑜𝓌𝓃. 𝒢𝓊𝒾𝒹𝑒 𝓂𝓎 𝓈𝓉𝑒𝓅𝓈, 𝑔𝓊𝒾𝒹𝑒 𝓂𝓎 𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓊𝑔𝒽𝓉𝓈, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓁𝑒𝒶𝒹 𝓂𝑒 𝓉𝑜 𝓌𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓌𝒶𝓃𝓉 𝓂𝑒. 𝐼 𝒹𝑒𝓈𝒾𝓇𝑒 𝒶 𝒹𝑒𝑒𝓅𝑒𝓇 𝓇𝑒𝓁𝒶𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃𝓈𝒽𝒾𝓅 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝓎𝑜𝓊. 𝒢𝓇𝑜𝓌 𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝒾𝓃𝓉𝒾𝓂𝒶𝒸𝓎 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝑔𝓇𝑜𝓌 𝓂𝓎 𝒹𝑒𝓅𝑒𝓃𝒹𝑒𝓃𝒸𝓎 𝑜𝓃 𝓎𝑜𝓊. 𝐼 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊, 𝒥𝑒𝓈𝓊𝓈; 𝒽𝑒𝓁𝓅 𝓂𝑒 𝓁𝑒𝓉 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒 𝓅𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝓂𝑒 𝓈𝑜 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒 𝒸𝒶𝓃 𝓅𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝑜𝓊𝓉 𝑜𝒻 𝓂𝑒 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝑜𝓃𝓉𝑜 𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓈𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓅𝓁𝒶𝒸𝑒 𝒾𝓃 𝓂𝓎 𝓅𝓇𝑒𝓈𝑒𝓃𝒸𝑒 𝓉𝑜 𝒽𝑒𝓁𝓅.
𝐼𝓃 𝒥𝑒𝓈𝓊𝓈 𝐻𝑜𝓁𝓎 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒫𝓇𝑒𝒸𝒾𝑜𝓊𝓈 𝓃𝒶𝓂𝑒 𝐼 𝓅𝓇𝒶𝓎. 𝒜𝓂𝑒𝓃.
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