It’s hard to believe
that today is the first day of 2018.
This is the day when many will vow to turn over a new leaf; to begin
doing something different than they did in 2017. Whether it is a resolution to eat healthier,
exercise more, spend more intentional family time, make it a priority to read
their Bible every day etc., many will begin this year ready to do whatever it
takes to see their plan accomplished.
I hate to be a
“downer” on this first day of January, but we all know that by February, many
will have given up on their resolution.
Many will decide that eating healthier food is just too expensive or
takes too much time to prepare. Quite a
few will come to the realization that exercising on a regular basis doesn’t
seem near as much fun as it did today.
Some will discover that spending more time with their family causes more
stress than they thought it would and that going out with their friends is much
more relaxing. And unfortunately, there
will be those who decide that hitting the snooze button two more times sounds
much more enjoyable than beginning their day with their Savior.
I was thinking about
this the other day and I’ll be honest, I felt myself getting depressed. The reason was that I was listing some of the
things that I know I need to change in 2018, but if I’m honest, I know that I
can easily be just like all the others who will give up within a few
weeks. Oh my intentions are good, but my
self-discipline is lacking and when the going gets tough…it’s easy for me to
just quit going. So if I know that I
will likely give up on my resolution(s), maybe I just shouldn’t make any at
all.
The funny thing was
that while I was thinking about giving up before I had even started, I also
found myself listing everything that I want my Jesus to do this year. You see, I know exactly what He needs to
accomplish in the months to come to make my life the way I think it should
be. That’s when the irony of this hit
me. I’m not willing to do what it takes
to be what Jesus wants me to be, but I sure expect Him to answer all of my
requests. I’m just not sure that’s what
He has in mind for my year ahead.
Then I came across
this quote from Elisabeth Elliot, “This year, let us ask God to dissolve all our hopes into a single hope to
know Christ and be found in Him. May
this be a year to desire a radically
transformed, deeper, truer, knowing of Christ as our all-sufficient One”.
I realized as I read this that this is what my resolution needs to
be. If I really take this seriously…if I
make this my focus in 2018…I believe that everything else will fall in
place. If my only hope for the coming
months is to know my Jesus more so that I can be radically transformed to look
more like Him, my year is bound to be more than I could ever imagine.
I really don’t want
2018 to be just another year…I want it to be a year in which how I live has a
positive impact on eternity. But I know
I will have to be intentional in making sure my hope is to know my Jesus and be
found in Him.
How about you? What is your Savior asking of you for this
coming year? If you aren’t sure, maybe
you would like to join me and together we can ask God to dissolve all our hopes
into a single hope. I’m guessing that if
this is our prayer, we will discover that He is definitely our “all-sufficient
One”.
“I pray that God, the
source of hope,
will fill you completely with joy and peace
because you trust in him.
Then you will overflow with confident hope
through the power of the Holy Spirit.”
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