Happy New Year

I’m not much of a “new year’s resolution” girl.  I find that the resolutions tend to be the same every year.  Lose weight.  Exercise more.  Pray more.  Study the Bible more, etc.  For a few weeks, maybe even a couple of months, I’m focused on those things, but after a while, my enthusiasm wanes.  I stop trying.  I end up feeling like a failure.  That makes me depressed.  I eat.  That leads me right back to the beginning, needing to lose weight and exercise more!  It’s a never ending cycle.

 

I do, however, love lists.  I’m pretty goal oriented.  I like to check things off once they’ve been accomplished.  Last year, while I did make a list, I decided to modify my thinking about resolutions.  Here is something I wrote then:

 

Maybe I should define my life goals and use those goals to determine the changes I need to make for 2010. So, here they are, my goals not just for 2010, but for my life:

1. To look forward to heaven and not be fearful to stand before God.
2. To help someone else get to heaven.
3. To live in a state of gratitude.
4. To pray continually.
5. To hide the Word in my heart.
6. To be diligent in everything I do.
7. To love God with my heart, mind, soul, and strength.

I don’t do all of these things perfectly all of the time, but trying to live these goals is much more fulfilling than checking off a laundry list of “resolutions” that seem to come back around every year.

 

 

The great thing about the list above is that it is a continual process.  It’s not something that I have to do by a certain date or age.  I am trying to incorporate these attitudes into my day to day journey.   It’s a new life motto.  Last year I really tried to focus on the concept of diligence.  I want to be intentional and diligent in everything I do.  I still have room for improvement, but I am making progress.

 

This year my focus is on words.  First, I want to focus on The Word.  I want to immerse myself into God’s Word so much that it becomes a part of me and who I am.  I want it to naturally spring from my heart and my lips.  I want my speech to be seasoned with Its truths.

 

I have also been thinking a lot recently about my words.  Words have the power to hurt or heal.  I want my words to be healing, encouraging and positive.  They are not always.  I have hurt with my words and have been hurt by the words of others.  I want to turn that hurt into healing.

 

I have been camped on these scriptures recently:

 

v  Matthew 12:36 – “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,” Ouch!  How many careless words have I spoken??  How many people have been hurt by my careless speech??

 

v  Ephesians 4:29-32 – “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.  And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.  Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.  Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”   Have my words grieved the Holy Spirit?  Is there anything worse than grieving the Holy Spirit?

 

 

In this new year I want to continue pursuing my goals.  I don’t want to simply check things off a list.  I want to be continually transforming myself into who He wants me to be.  That is the ultimate goal, to be who He created me to be while doing what He created me to do!

 

How about you?  What are you thinking about as we approach 2011?

 

Happy New Year!