I’m not one for making New Year’s resolutions which are soon forgotten. The feelings seep in almost immediately: guilt, disappointment, discouragement, and regret.  The year has barely begun, and we’re already unable to even start the resolutions meant to bring us a brand new year full of amazing accomplishments. I’m tired just thinking about it! How about beginning our new year by simply praying, and asking God to bless and guide us in all we do? We can thank God for the good gifts He’s given to us over this past year, and commit to putting Him first. We can pray for wisdom and discernment, asking God to help us become more like Jesus. Instead of resolutions, let’s ask God to help us stay on the path He has provided for each one of us. Or, ask Him to help us find our way back to the path if we’ve wandered and lost our way. 

If we’ve accepted Christ into our hearts, our future is secure in our salvation. We know we have God’s great gift of eternal life. But God has more good gifts to give us right now! God wants to heal us, and give us the desires of our hearts. God wants to give us freedom, peace, and joy; as we live our lives here on earth! It’s not His will for us to be fearful, guilt-laden, angry, depressed, bitter, rejected, or abandoned. Those things come from the enemy. God sent Jesus to carry our burdens, overcome evil, and give us victory each and every year of our lives! God takes what is evil and changes it to be used for our good. He also uses it for His glory, in order to grow the Kingdom of God. When bad things surface, they become opportunities for God to heal, change, and grow us into men and women of Christ-like character. For this to occur, we have to be willing to trust God through everything, even when we don’t understand. We have to be patient, believing God has a perfect plan, which He will bring to fruition in His perfect timing. 

God is a promise maker; He is not a promise breaker! Therefore, our hope lies in Jesus Christ, not in resolutions we can’t keep. So, let’s give Jesus our disappointments, pain, and suffering. But we need to give him our hopes, dreams, and joys too! We can do this by trusting God with everything, both the good and the bad. We can believe God’s Word over and above anything else, knowing that Jesus is Truth. We can walk a true Christian walk, in spite of our brokenness and imperfections, by pursuing Jesus each and every day of the year. When all of your New Year’s resolutions fail, and you feel like giving up, look for the silver lining: God’s love never fails! Jesus never gives up on you! We do not need to keep any resolutions to be loved and accepted by Jesus. We just need to take his hand when he reaches for us, and follow him! 

“For no word from God will ever fail.”

(Luke 1:37 New International Version) 

Snow flurries dancing before the silver lining.

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