Happy New Year! I’ve
always found it fitting that the new year begins right after Christmas - we end
the last year with the reminder that we are immaculately loved by the Savior of
the world and start the next year with a renewed sense of purpose. That fresh starts leads us to make new
commitments, resolutions, and goals for the upcoming year.
I must admit, I don’t really do resolutions. I’ve never
really been a goal-oriented person. I try to constantly improve myself and not
limit it to the start of every year.
When I realize something needs to change, I simply begin to make
whatever adjustments are necessary to make that change happen. Sometimes it works. Other times…well, it’s a twenty-seven-year work-in-progress.
As I’ve watched my friends and acquaintances commit to their
resolutions, I have been forced to realize that the reason I don’t do resolutions
is fear. I’m afraid of failure. Failure
to complete the goal. Failure to meet the standard I set for myself. Failure to please others or meet the standard
I think they have set for me.
But I don’t want my life to be paralyzed by fear. Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal
and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it in abundance”
(John 10:10). Based on those words, I believe that He came not only to take my
fear, but also to fulfill His purpose for my life. So, what do I do when God asks me to do
something of which I’m terrified?
Run and hide. If God created me like this – weak,
insufficient, awkward, insecure me – how could I possibly do any good work for
His kingdom?
The next few posts will probably be on this topic. It’s
where I’m at in my headspace right now, and I think in order to move forward,
it’s the message my heart needs to absorb. Not just read it with a smile today
and forget in the busy-ness of tomorrow, but really breathe in His
grace. I pray that God would stitch it
into my heart so that I can break out of fear and move into my calling.
So, hang with me! 😊
