No Resolutions But to Honor Jesus!

What a year! Amen?!

I know for many that 2010 was filled with great suffering. There is suffering all around me.

Fear, depression, and physical pain are just some of the sufferings that a few who are dear to me are living with. What would their resolution for the new year be? Some have given up on everything and everyone; one has the strongest faith I've ever witnessed.

Resolutions for the new year are flying around the internet. It is a real eye opener as the reality of life priorities is openly discussed. This tradition stopped for me five years ago. Instead, I made a couple of commitments; to put most of my energy into getting to know what a relationship with Jesus looked like and to make amends with three of my dearest friends. These friends did not deserve how I simply vanished from their life without explanation. I was now asking God to help me restore those treasured relationships. In my commitment to God, I asked Him to show me what it meant to have an intimate relationship with Him. I did not have a clue what to do or what to expect.

Since then, I've thrown new year resolutions out the window. Normally, I would recommit to one of my empty promises; to get physically fit or to become more organized. But they never stuck! The only time my new year resolution stuck was the one I made to Jesus in 2005! When I did this, Holy Spirit put the Scriptures in my hand and I could not let go of them.

'Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.' Psalm 37:4-6

These passages from the Psalm of David were put upon my heart at the beginning of the year. My daughter and I went to the store to pick out a journal for my new twelve step study. It was very difficult to find one among the scattered goodies at our local Ross department store. Then my daughter finds one and says, "Look Mom, this one even has a scripture on it!" That was it! This very passage was printed on the cover of my new journal for the year.

This became my commitment for 2010.

What I love about it is it contains so much! Not only does it tell us to delight and trust in the Lord, and commit our way to Him, but it also tells the promises we can expect if we do these things. It contains all the pieces of loving the Lord with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength.

Once again, Jesus revealed His faithfulness!

God's glory is shining brilliantly more than ever, and not just upon my own life.

As I wrap up step nine of the twelve steps, I am prompted to reflect on how 'your overall outlook on life changed':

I now exist with a 'knowing' of God's voice and feel the leading of His Spirit.
My trust in Jesus now quenches all the worldly noise and pressures.
All my past layers of bondage and my masks are gone.

Done.

Finished.

I am a new creation and I finally see it and believe it. Fear of the old things resurfacing has now vanished from my mind. I am now confidant in my identity and my inheritance as God's precious child.

God has done so much. He has fulfilled his promises and I trust He is not done yet. 'Redemption' was my word for 2009 and 'Fulfillment' was my word for 2010. As I look at what God has already set in motion, the word on my heart for 2011 is 'Deliver'. It is time to take everything He has done and has equipped me with out to others in a bigger way. Time to deliver the product, the message, the gift! Jesus is ready to propel me into 2011 with new opportunities to shine HIS glory on the justice of my cause like the noonday sun! Glory!!!

Here are the top dozen New Year Resolutions I found while surfing the web:

1. Getting Into shape
2. Getting More Organized
3. Giving Up Smoking or Drinking
4. Getting or Changing a Job
5. Getting Finances in Order
6. Buying a Home or Moving
7. Finding a Mate
8. Learning Something New
9. Reduce Stress
10. Spend More Time With Family
11. Pick a New Hobby
12. Do more to Help Others (And WHY is this at the bottom of the list?)

Look at how SELF focused the world is! No wonder it is such a mess! Bring #12 up a few notches and maybe this world would really be a better place to live in. And where is God in this picture? Not even mentioned!

A dear brother in Christ, Robert Lewis, shared his insight on new year resolutions this morning. My hope is that you are inspired to look at your own commitments for the new year through God's lens:

"Many Christians make New Year’s resolutions to pray more, to read the Bible every day, and to attend church more regularly. These are fantastic goals. However, these New Year’s resolutions fail just as often as the non-spiritual resolutions, because there is no power in a New Year’s resolution.

Resolving to start or stop doing a certain activity has no value unless you have the proper motivation for stopping or starting that activity. For example, why do you want to read the Bible every day?

Is it to honor God and grow spiritually, or is it because you have just heard that it is a good thing to do?

Why do you want to lose weight? Is it to honor God with your body, or is it for vanity, to honor yourself?"

Philippians 4:13 tells us, “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” John 15:5 declares, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

"If God is the center of your New Year’s resolution, it has chance for success, depending on your commitment to it. If it is God’s will for something to be fulfilled, He will enable you to fulfill it."

"If a resolution is not God honoring and/or is not in agreement in God’s Word, we will not receive God’s help in fulfilling the resolution."

So, what sort of New Year’s resolution should a Christian make? Here are some suggestions:

• Pray to the Lord for wisdom (James 1:5) in regards to what resolutions, if any, He would have you make.
• Pray for wisdom as to how to fulfill the goals God gives you.
• Rely on God’s strength to help you.
• Find an accountability partner who will help you and encourage you.
• Don’t become discouraged with occasional failures; instead allow them to motivate you further.
• Don’t become proud or vain, but give God the glory.

'Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.' Psalm 37:4-6

My prayer for you, my beloved friends and family, is that you will seek Jesus first in all things, love and glorify Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and witness His glory shining upon you in this upcoming year!

Happy New Year!