Bring on the New!

Happy New Year!

So many thoughts come with the beginning of a new year. Sometimes hopeful thoughts. Sometimes excitement. Sometimes thoughts that are blah or even full of dread.

I'm a person that loves to make resolutions, but I'm like that all year. Any new season calls for new, fresh plans. A new month. Even a new week. My husband is definitely not one that likes to make resolutions. He is not alone. I’ve been told that the fear behind that sentiment is seeing those resolutions at the end of the year and realizing you haven't fulfilled them. Therefore you feel like a failure.

I get it. I've been there. That's why my resolutions now are very do-able. And measurable. I've learned to break them down into small, very attainable steps. If by the end of the year, I've not accomplished all of my goals, I will have at least accomplished some of them. And that's something to celebrate.

Possibly a resolution that many of us should make is to be kinder to ourselves. And more patient with ourselves. For some strange reason, when we're kinder and more patient with ourselves we become much more kind and patient toward others.

Hmmm... I suspect because it's a deep work of the Holy Spirit.

With God's help this year, I want to glean every positive thing from each day. They're there. No matter what garbage is going on, there are pinpricks of light. I want to see them and bask in them. Whether it be as big as appreciating my wonderful family or as small as enjoying the smell of coffee or the feel of soft carpet under my feet or warm running water or lights that come on with a touch or flushing toilets. A smile from someone. The freedom to own a Bible. The easy accessibility to friends and family through social media. My warm puppy snuggled up to me in the evenings. Warm sunshine. Snow drifting slowly down (it’s happening as I write).

I urge you not to miss those pinpricks of light that God will bless you with every day. He has those gifts for you and He has so much more. If we constantly live a life focused on happier times in the past or always looking ahead to better days, then it’s possible we will miss out on the blessings of now.

And by far, the biggest blessing of now is His Glorious PRESENCE! I used all caps because we so often take His Presence for granted. If we could for a moment, see with spiritual eyes, we would be blown away by what we see! He’s here! Now!

Even for us that have received Him as Lord and Savior and are indwelt by His Living Spirit, we too, get distracted from the reality that He is HERE. Immanuel! God WITH us! We are told repeatedly in Scripture to “be filled with the Spirit” and to “walk in the Spirit”. It’s a daily choice.

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16)

“for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8)

“be filled with the Spirit,” (Ephesians 5:18)

I’m wondering if many of us should resolve to do the following:

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:16‭-‬17) (bold italics mine)

This can be both attainable and measurable if we get creative and do it in a way that fits with our individual, unique lives. But let it never become one more thing to check off our list. Let it become a new, fresh way of doing life, as we open our hearts to be continually filled with, and aware of, the living Presence of Jesus.