Happy New Year everyone! What a
month it’s been. I was in Iowa over Thanksgiving break, attended Andrew
Peterson’s Behold the Lamb of God concert (make plans to see it next year!),
and returned to Indiana over Christmas break. As amazing as it was, it’s now
time to get back to the real world. It’s year-end close at work which can be a
very hectic time for accountants. The good news is that my Company just
finished a record year. Great results make things easier to explain in
management meetings! After year-end close, it will be time to flip to a new year
and set our sights on new goals and challenges.
Did
you make a new year’s resolution? Do you have you own goals and challenges you
want to meet in 2020?
·
Do you want to start eating right?
·
Want to make the gym a priority?
·
Planning to read the Bible more?
·
Hoping to get back into Church?
·
Desiring to join or lead a new small group?
These examples
(among many others) are noble and worthy endeavors to be sure. I plan to get
back on a healthier diet and return to my workout regimen. I’ve really failed in those areas over the past year! The annual
talk of new year’s resolutions calls to mind Romans 11:36 “All things come from God, through God, and return to God. Praise him
forever! Yes, it is so!”. This verse got me to thinking about
the foundation of our new year’s resolutions.
Of the partial list of resolutions above,
most of them are self-focused. I’d imagine this is the case for most everyone
that makes a new year’s promise (let’s be honest – we are going to order a
large pizza with extra cheese by the weekend). I fully believe that this is the reason most resolutions never come to fruition or maybe don't even get off of the ground. The foundation and premise of
secular resolutions is to make us into the best version of ourselves. There is
nothing wrong with that in and of itself. The issue isn’t with wanting to improve,
but rather with our mindset on how the change is accomplished. Rather than
looking inward at ourselves for motivation to improve ourselves, we must
resolve to look upward towards a great and merciful God. It’s worth re-reading
Romans 11:36. Read it slowly this time.
“All things come from God, through God, and
return to God. Praise him forever! Yes, it is so!”.
Yes,
everything is of God and from God. Our heath, our desire to eat right and
exercise, our fervor for studying the Word, our reception of the Sacraments –
all gifts from God! So, if this is true (and it is!), then we must necessarily
reorient the focus of our collective new year’s resolutions. Let’s resolve to
turn the spotlight away from ourselves and choose to bask in the Grace and glory
of God, instead. When we come to embrace the truth revealed in Romans 11:36, we
can then revel in the good news that is found in Romans 8:28: “And we know that all things work together
for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
We cannot improve ourselves through our own merits and efforts. Self-driven
improvement is the very antithesis of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In Philippians 4:13, the apostle Paul says it
simply and profoundly “I can do all
things through Christ who strengthens me.”
In 2020, let’s ditch
the new year’s resolutions and allow the Holy Spirit and Grace of God to perform
the work of sanctification and continually conform us to the image of His son.
I hope that 2020 gets off to a great start for you and your family. I am
working on an exciting new project for the blog that I hope to reveal soon!
In Christ,
Kendal May
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