Resolutions

At the turn of the year people everywhere are reflecting on 2014 and dreaming and planning for 2015. It’s a beautiful thing to see everyone expectant for things to come. I love reading down my Facebook or Instagram feeds seeing the declarations and resolutions for the New Year. Everyone is trying to start out on the right foot, complaining less, thinking more positively, eating better, exercising, etc. My favorite part about seeing all the posts is that they are full of hope. They make my heart rejoice!

 

I think the reason we are so full of hope at the beginning of the New Year is that we can look at the year like it is a blank slate. It is true that God's mercies are new each morning and we can approach the New Year the same way, beginning with a fresh start. Whether your 2014 was amazing or the complete opposite and just down right tough, 2015 can be a fresh start! A blank slate ready to be chiseled, a white canvas ready to be painted, a new chapter ready to be written...

 

I'd like to be honest with you for a minute. I started out the year a little disappointed. I had a short break from work for the holidays (a total of 11 days off!). My plan was to clean and purge things during this time. I had this idea that I would have time to sit in coffee shops writing, dreaming and planning for the New Year. It seemed so glorious! But my 3 year old came down with a fever and a cold over Christmas. Then, I got the same thing as him shortly after we finished up the Christmas holiday. I was bummed. Not only were we both sick enough that we couldn't truly enjoy being home together but that also meant I didn't have the energy to do all of the dreaming and the planning and the cleaning out of old things!

 

I started feeling like a bit of a failure. I needed time to listen to God, hearing from him for the New Year! I needed to have my goals and such by the 1st of the year! Everyone has to have these things ready on January 1st you know?! Or it doesn't count, or something like that.

 

Being sick kept me at home with my thoughts and they just started getting plain old silly. I know what it’s like to stay stuck in a funk so I decided to start praying. You know God's not afraid of our silly thoughts! He's big enough for our irrational thinking, Amen? I decided I needed to give it all to Him. My physical sickness and my silly thinking; just lay it there, all of it, at His feet. And our God is so faithful. He continually meets us right where we are, to encourage and strengthen us. What I needed to do was transform or renew my thinking...

 

Many people start out the New Year with a resolution or maybe some goals. Some may choose one word for the year or maybe a scripture verse to focus on. I have never been a resolution type girl, but I loved the idea of choosing one word. (My 2014 word was REFINE.) And more recently I was introduced to the idea of having a scripture verse for the year. So when they were talking about 2014's most popular verse on the radio my ears perked up. The Bible App or YouVersion used their statistics to determine the most underlined and highlighted verse of 2014 (https://www.youversion.com)  and I was somewhat surprised to hear that Romans 12:2 was number one. “Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is- his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Rom.12:2 (NIV)

 

When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, we are a new creation! Much like our approach to the New Year, we are potter's clay to be shaped and molded. We must turn from our old way of thinking and begin to put on a new way of thinking. We need to transform, renew our thoughts! Just like waking up to new mercies, we can renew our minds daily. I don't think it is coincidence that YouVersion's number two most popular verse (the most shares) for 2014 was Philippians 4:8. “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy- think about such things.” Philippians 4:8 (NIV)

 

Transforming or renewing our thoughts starts with Truth. As women of God we need to be filling our mind with God's word, fixing our thoughts on whatever is true, noble, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy! His word does not turn void. And He will complete the work that he began in us!

 

Sisters, let us approach this New Year with a heart towards our King. Let us allow our relationship with Jesus to transform our lives and the lives of those around us. Let us put off the old and allow Jesus to make us new! Let us choose each day to fix our thoughts on His truth. Amen!

 

As we leave 2014 behind let us begin 2015 with renewed hearts and minds setting our thoughts on those things that are true, noble, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy! Listen to what God is speaking to you and see where He takes you in 2015!

 

Thank you for reading and I pray you have an awesome 2015 with Jesus by your side!

~Jimmie Lee

 

The West Ridge Women’s Ministry Team would love to hear what God is showing you or speaking to you! How do you approach the New Year? If you have resolutions, goals, one word or a scripture, we would love to read about them in the comments (either here on the blog page or on Facebook). Perhaps you have a different approach to the New Year? We’d love want to hear about that too!