Focus For a New Year

Happy 2017 friends! I hope you had a wonderful year and enjoyed a cozy holiday season with friends and family :). Even though it is already January 3rd, I wanted to share some goals for this year, that I hope encourage us all to "grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ" together.

I am a HUGE New Years Resolution person. The first new year after I came to know the Lord, I started writing a "yearly review" for myself. I wrote on two sides of a 5"x 7" card stock notecard. First I would write a "looking back" section, noting all the things I had been able to partake in and accomplish. On the other side I would do a "looking forward" section. I would make a small list of practical things I hope to accomplish, a theme verse for that year, and spiritual goals- areas I see lacking and want to pursue as I run the race of Christ. 

I have always toyed with the idea of having a word for the year, but it never seemed to gel for me, so I opted for a verse instead. This December as I anticipated doing my yearly review, I knew I wanted to have a word this year. Something to streamline my focus that would apply to all areas of my life. No sooner did this cross my mind, than I knew what word it would have to be. My heart sunk a little bit because this word is something that doesn't come easy to me, and I know it will push me outside of my comfort zone. The memory\that led me to choose this word, is from a little something that happened this fall when I was reading the forethought to the book Spiritual Maturity by J. Oswald Sanders.

  

I cracked open the spine, and saw an impressive list of chapters, each of their headings were character traits and lessons I longed and needed to learn. I read the first paragraph of the forethought (written by the books editors), and that's when I read something I did not like. It stated " This is not a  "how-to" volume but a "be" volume." I was immediately disappointed and deflated. I literally thought to myself  "But I just want to know what to do!"  My type-a personality thrives on to-do lists and "10 ways to be more godly." But it is a whole different struggle for me to be what I do. I often get so wrapped up in what I'm doing I fail to let these things pierce my heart.  

When I pondered having a word for the year, this memory immediately flooded into my thoughts, and I knew the Lord was leading me to pursue the word BE. To be an obedient daughter, loving wife, kind mother, and faithful friend. To spend less time focusing on what I need to do to feel satisfied with each box in my life, but to pursue the heart God wants me to have that overflows with doing the right things. 1 Samuel 15:22 is such a powerful reminder in that it says"“Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams." I want to obey from a heart of obedience and love for  my Savior, rather than just making a list and checking off each task that is completed. 

I pray this year I will be present not just occupy space; be loving not just give hugs and kisses; be kind, not just say words so they sound nice; by soft, not just knowing when not to say anything; be gracious not just keeping my sinful thoughts to myself. Ultimately I pray I can seek God's help to answer the question "What does the Lord call me to be in this moment?"rightly, and be content with that. This is not to say I don't want to do good works, but I know my heart behind them needs to trace back to what the Lord has called me to do and to be. The Lord gives grace when we ask and I am confident He will answer every earnest pray we make for growth this coming year.

Do you have any New Years Resolutions or goals?

XO, B