Blessed new year greetings to you dear friend! May you experience enormous hope and love in this year and even today!
I usually try to write my blog before the end of the previous year, reviewing the old and planning the new. Honestly speaking, along with that rounding-up and planning process is anticipation, a bit of excitement …some fear.
Afraid? Of what? Maybe of the fact that some of my expectations might not be met this year. That most of my ideal plans most definitely will change, and that what I think now, to be the perfect approach to my challenges, has big potential to not be successful.
It sounds less hopeful, I know, but haven’t you felt it too?
These thoughts led me to how our faith constantly has the play-off between living up to perfect Christian value laws versus embracing the freedom Christ Jesus has given us by His Grace. So often as Christians we get tangled up in the effort of living up to the standard of righteousness, just to fail again utterly in our quest of being perfect and judging others who aren’t. Time and time again He reminds us that: BY GRACE WE ARE SAVED. Running into His arms and finding refuge in Him is the only plan that successfully and truly pans out, always. We simply cannot do or plan out this life by ourselves.
Running around in circles with the same approach year after year just does not feel right. We’re suppose to move forward in our spiritual lives, we are running a race towards the finish line. Our great reward is waiting!!
Can we do it different in 2019?
There must be a new year’s resolution that changes our momentum. An intention that almost slows us down and in the slower momentum super naturally moves us forward with leaps and bounds.
Bearing all of this in mind, I thought of this resolution in 2019:
– To not try to do it on our own, but to take refuge in Him.
– That even before we make plans in 2019, to hide under His wings and draw from all the life He has for us to live, and only then listen to where He wants to lead us.
– That the only prize worth living for is the one waiting after this life is complete, and that we’ll remind ourselves of this over and over again.
Please note: I know that this resolution is not natural for us. Our own plans usually steal the show, we do the full circle of trying it on our own, just to end up in His arms again many times over. With careful intention we can choose to change this course to rather pursue peace and trust instead of success and prosperity. He is willingly help, I know this because His heart yearns to be our only source and comfort. He sacrificed everything he had for us, He gave us His life.
In all the complexities our lives seem to have become, the simplicity of the gospel is almost impossibly contradictory:
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and mind and love your neighbour as yourself.
Yesterday (31 December) I watched a movie that is so richly impactful. Paul, Apostle of Christ gives a visual experience of the early Christians under severe persecution in Rome, and Paul in prison. A movie that does not have a happy ending, not in this life, but an extremely rewarding ever after with Jesus. A hard movie to process, but while watching it you just know …. this is rock solid and real, true life, no Hollywood.
Maybe if we focus more on the reality of the reward promised to us, the non-Hollywood outcomes in our lives won’t be such a frustration and disappointment? We have so much to be thankful for.
Today and tomorrow is just a gift to us. Nobody has guaranteed us a 2019. We take our life years for granted, even though we have all seen how easily it can be taken away.
Thankfulness is your key to enjoying today. Find things to be thankful for every day, even if it’s the same things every day. Difficult circumstances become less intimidating when we find something to be thankful for in the midst of the pain and confusion.
He changes your perspective on everything, if you worship Him with your Thank You’s.
May your walk into 2019 underneath His wing and with a song in Your heart.
Johanni Meiring 