New Year Focus

(picture from Power Point clip art)

You may make New Year's resolutions every year.  That's great.  I'm not good at it.  I guess I don't like the pressure that comes with making a list of goals.  I don't think it's wrong, it's just not me.  Don't misunderstand me.  I have plenty of areas in my life that I would like to be different.  I would love to always have a clean, organized, decorated house; new, delicious recipes every night; spend two hours a day at the gym to reshape (or kill) my body; write a blog every day; put in a garden.  Ok.  I've gone a little too far.  This list actually stresses me out.  Maybe that's another reason I don't have a list.  I also don't want to fall into the trap.  You know:  the list, the failure, the quitting, the not starting again until the next year. 

So I'm trying something new.  I'm changing the word "resolution", hoping to change my focus.  I'm changing the word "resolution" to "relyution".  Yes, I made the word up.  When I think of resolution, I think of what I can do in my strength to make me happy.  I'm using the term"relyution" to mean "relying on Jesus to use His strength to please Him."     

World vs. the Word

This idea of relyution goes against everything you hear from this world.  You hear, "Rely on yourself.   You can do anything you put your mind to do.  If you work hard enough, you will succeed."
 
However, the Word (Bible) says in Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight."

Long term vs. Short Term

With resolutions, you make long term goals.  You may decide to do this.  That's great.

But relyutions are daily goals.  Actually, moment by moment goals. 

Relyution Daily Plan

A-  Ask God what He would have you do today.
B-  Be flexible.  God may change your plans mid-stream.  Always listen.
C-  Call on him for help.  Rely on His strength, not yours. (Isaiah 41:10)
D- Don't get distracted by sin, self, or stuff.  (probably another blog post)
E-  Examine your motives.  Why?  For whom?
F- Fight against comparison.  God has made you unique and for His purpose.
G- Guard your Mind.  Be alert.  Ready to fight against the evil one. (I Peter 5:8) (another post)
H-  HOPE.  Help Others Prepare for Eternity (the whole reason for this blog).  This may be a word of encouragement to another believer, or words of truth to the non-believer.  Look for opportunities to share hope.

As you live out Proverbs 3:5-6 and practice the A,B, C's of Relyution daily, you will please God.

Do you make New Year's resolutions? Why, or why not?

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Happy New Year!


 

Happy "New" Year!

Happy New Year 2012!

Don’t you just love the word “new”?   I’ve been thinking about this word for a week now.  With Christmas only a week ago, “new” describes many gifts we unwrapped.  Actually, all the gifts we received were new.  (For the first year, it didn’t take hours to untangle toys from new boxes for the girls).

I also thought of the word “new” when I polished my kitchen cabinets with orange oil to cover the scratches a few days ago.   While I worked, I thought about my relationship with God. 

When I trusted Jesus to make something new of my life that is what He did.  The word of God says,  “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a NEW life has begun!”  (2 Corinthians 5:17 New Living Translation (NLT), emphasis mine)  God doesn’t just promise to change our lives (even though we change with newness), but promises NEW life.  He doesn’t just come and cover our old “scratches” and imperfections like I did with my cabinets.  He remodels.  He tears out and starts over.  He gives us new thoughts, new priorities, and new purpose. 

God wants us to live NEW in three ways.

#1 Leave the old.

Like Paul’s struggle between his old nature before Christ and new nature in Christ, (described in Romans 7 of the New Testament;  there is the word “new” again), I struggle with my old life of sin versus my new life of freedom from sin.  Does that mean if I sin, I am not NEW anymore?  No.  New does not equal perfection.  But our new life IN Christ gives us the desire and power to say no to sin and self.

Romans 6:6-8 (NLT) says, “We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. ⁷ For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. ⁸ And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him.” 

1 Corinthians 10:13 (NLT) says, “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.”

Live the new by leaving the old.

#2 Put on the new.

Even though we are “new”, we must choose to put on the new.  Colossians 3:1-2 says that since you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.  And later, in that same chapter, verses 12-14 say that as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, we are to clothe ourselves with (put on) compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³ Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴ And over all these virtues, put on love which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Choose to put on the new.

#3 Live the change.

Remember, God does the work.  Sometimes I act like it is my job to “look good”.  Do good works to “oil my own cabinets”.  Look good. Smell good (orange oil smells good for only a short while, then it disappears).  But really God sees my scratches, my sin (my way instead of God’s).  God wants me to rest in Him and He will display my “newness”.

Are you tired of the “old, beat-up cabinets” of your life?  You, too, can have NEW “cabinets” through Jesus.

Leave the old. Put on the new. Live the change in 2012.