Originally published Saturday, 03 February 2018.
The first week of January.
I must: lose 5 pounds.
I must: encourage my kids more.
I must: save money.
This is the time of year where we get all intentional about the things we unintentionally forgot about last year. We pick them up again, and test them out. We try to surpass what, apparently, got the better of us.
We tie on the running shoes and hit the pavement, extra weight blobbing around.
We tuck away the cigarettes, pretending they weren’t right there in the dashboard.
We open up the closet doors, ones we've tried to ignore for last 11 months.
And as we open these tightly shut doors and experience the reality of what we failed at last year, well. . . we often feel like failures. We're ashamed of ourselves. And thus, our minds inadvertently themselves up for failure.
May I encourage you, and myself, right about now?
Friends, every new beginning starts by facing a present reality. To see the weight, the issue, the pain, the problem, the sadness, the isolation or the agony around what is - is good. This is your new start, somewhere.
Don't hate that. Don't push the reality away. See it for what it is. This will be your driver forward; it will be what leads you into the arms of Christ. God's strength will be your follow-through.
Know your deep need of rescue and help. It's okay. In fact, it's more than okay. For here you'll find:
Where you can't, God can.
Where it's impossible, prayer makes everything possible.
The things that make you doubt- faith can knock down.
Where shame tries to scream about your looming failure,
Christ says, "With me, all things are possible."
Where you find yourself messing up again, Jesus reminds you,
"My power is perfected in your weakness."
Where you once strived hard to make things happen,
you can now trust Jesus to.
Where you demanded progress this year,
you can make space for God's miracle.
Where you aimed to see your success,
you're now prepared to see God's glory.
Every new beginning, in Christ, is a happy ending. It is literally impossible to submit to Jesus and to not see goodness. Sure, it may look different than you thought, but it will always be good. Better even.
In Christ, we have nothing to lose and everything to gain. So go for it. Go for it with Jesus!!!
"Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus..." Phil. 1:6
Prayer: God, I am not perfect. I fail. Help me to see through what vision I have. Give me grace to do it with you. Give me peace along my path. Help me not see mess-ups as failures, but as opportunities to keep going. Teach me along the way. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
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