How Are Your Resolutions Going?
Lately, I’ve been listening to a newer worship song that has quickly become one of my favorites. It speaks about how we can never strive or perform enough on our own to earn or deserve God’s forgiveness—that it is only by the blood of Jesus that we are saved! As I was reflecting on this and listening to the song one morning while getting ready for the day, I heard the words of the first verse:
“Everything changed. It’s getting harder to recognize the person I was before I encountered Christ.”
In an instant, the enemy tried to twist the meaning of those words, and a little voice of doubt crept in: “But… have you really changed though?” A highlight reel of my worst moments flashed before my eyes. Maybe you’ve experienced something like this, too. Sometimes, we are hardest on ourselves after we’ve been following Jesus for a while. We expect to follow Him perfectly, forgetting that we are still human and in continual need of His grace.
Jesus tells us in Luke 9:23, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.” Why daily? Because we daily need His grace. We don’t just wake up perfect after accepting Jesus as Savior, never needing His help again. We have to die to our own way—daily!
New Year’s resolutions are often a great indicator of our need for a Savior. Many people set the bar way too high and fall short. Others refuse to set goals for the New Year altogether to avoid the disappointment of falling short. Here we are, less than two weeks into the New Year, and many of us have already missed perfection in what we were aiming for!
I love what Craig Groeschel says about this: “So often we are inconsistent with our goals because we have an 'all-or-nothing' mindset. If we fall short of our goal even just one time, we feel like we've failed. Try to remember, being consistent isn't the same as being perfect. Give yourself permission to fail. The goal is not perfection, the goal is consistency.”
If we accidentally forget to brush our teeth before bed, we don’t give up on the habit! We simply brush them again the next morning. In the same way, small, consistent habits—like spending time with Jesus—draw us closer to Him over time and lead to big changes in our lives.
I know this to be true. As I continued listening to that worship song, I recognized the voice of shame creeping in, reminding me of my past. I took a moment to ask Jesus to show me how I’ve grown. He brought to mind some very specific ways my life has changed. Tears filled my eyes, and the shame diminished as I sat in His presence.
Have you fallen short on any of your goals? Is a voice of shame reminding you of all your failures? Friend, let me remind you of the love and grace freely given to us by our wonderful Savior, Jesus. Whether you’ve been following Him for one day or many years, I pray that today He reminds you of just how far you’ve come. May striving cease as you experience His love and forgiveness!
“Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.” Zechariah 4:6 (NIV)
“He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.” Ephesians 1:7-8 (NLT)
Bonus content: here’s the song I’ve been listening to if you want to check it out. (It’s so good!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogCQdTbig2E
