New Year? What Will We Do With Today?

We are on the cusp of yet another year. New Years’ resolutions will start to flood every social media platform. My thoughts on making resolutions: an action verb is just a word if there’s no action put behind it. I say that because while it may seem popular and with the best of intentions to make resolutions for the new year, if we don’t change, if we don’t desire for God to change us, we aren’t being real.

I have struggled with writing this post for weeks. Mainly because I wanted to be transparent and in doing so, hope to help others and myself. I can’t spend time focusing on Jan. 1st when I’m NOT doing anything with Dec. 30th!! I can say I want to have a great year, that I’m looking forward to 2015, but if I’m not willing to change, not willing to work for change...well, 2015 will be just another year. Another year I may complain about what I don’t have, another year I take God’s grace and mercy for granted, another year that I wasn’t promised and that I’ve wasted.

I don’t want to “claim” favor in 2015 when I know good and well I’m not doing anything! Some people say, “I’m waiting on God.” Here’s a newsflash: He’s been waiting on us! John 9, verse 4 says, “I must work the works of Him who sent me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.” God’s love for us is eternal. He doesn’t need a new year to extend his grace and mercy. So why do we need a new year to “get right” and/or submit to His will? *sips tea*

Don’t get me wrong. There’s nothing wrong with making resolutions. However, if you only make resolutions because it’s the New Year and it’s what you’re “supposed” to do, then I have some advice: STOP. Your resolutions may have good intentions, but the last time I checked, good intentions don’t bring about real change. Why wait for Jan. 1st when God has blessed you with TODAY? Why not get hype about where you are TODAY? Why not take a personal inventory and pledge to use this day as a testimony of God’s faithfulness?

Can I be honest with y’all? I feel I wasted so much time in 2014. I said I was going to eat healthier...didn’t happen. I was going to commit to working out 3x a week. That SURE didn’t happen!(as I look over at this package of cookies LOL) I really wanted to grow in my faith walk with God. Let me stop here. This last “goal” was, by far, the most important to me. James 2:20- “But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?” Honesty check: I feel I dropped the ball. Why? Because when I could have been reading my Bible, I was scrolling on FB and Instagram. When I could have been earnestly praying so I could hear God’s voice, I chose to wallow and complain about my life. When I could have gone to church on that one Sunday, I chose to stay at home because of the weather or some other superficial excuse. How can I increase my faith when I won’t seek after Him? That’s like wanting to make an A in AP Physics, but you don’t study for the tests. God’s right + our laziness DOESN’T equal God’s blessings. At least not the way we think. He blesses us to see another day. His mercies are new each morning. Lamentations 3:22-23- “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.”

My prayer is NOT to wait until 2015 to get it right! I want to start right now, TODAY! My prayer for all of us:

Lord, make us over again. Help us to commit to your will and to trust you with each day we’re given. We may fail Lord, we may stumble back to our old habits and ways, but we pray for conviction and strength to return to you. We thank you in advance for 2015, but we also thank you for what you’re doing with us, this day, in 2014! Continue to let our lights shine bright with your love. In Jesus’ name,  Amen.

I hope this post spoke to your heart. Again, I share my trials and hiccups so maybe it will help someone in their journey. Make it a GREAT day and…..See y’all next year!

~Until then, be blessed!