Revelation vs Resolution

Happy New Year!  As the calendar rolls to a new year, we flip through the photos, whether it be of puppies, sunset images or as I just hung mine, a simple calendar with a pretty marble border. The empty squares indicating days yet to be lived. Those twelve pages can either propel us or paralyze us.

The change of the New Year has traditionally become a re-setting if you will of our life compass. We evaluate the past and plan for the future. For some of us, this means sitting down and writing out our Resolutions. Money to be made, exercise routines, diet plans, buy that new house, get that promotion, clean out those closets, get organized – the list goes on. Don’t get me wrong, these are all a good plan of attack.  Yet there is more.  A New Year’s Resolution can be defined as “a firm decision to do or not do something, a course of action designed with the intent to keep a vow.” Statistics claim, one in three Americans makes a New Year’s resolution of some sort, yet only about 75% of these folks stick to their goal for at least … a week.

Have we considered that instead of a resolution to do better, get more, and perhaps try to be something other than we are, that we seek … revelation? As we stand at the door of 2021 (with a hardy “Good-bye” wave to 2020), may we take pause and truly position ourselves to seek a fresh revelation of our God.

Revelation. The act of disclosing or discovering what was before unknown. I would offer; we may have read it, even know it (the story) but let’s reach beyond. Let’s be intentional (is the focus of our church for 2021). As we read through our Bibles, invite Holy Spirit to read with us, pointing out incredible and wondrous things. Showing us unwavering and astounding qualities of His character.  Paul wrote, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think” (Romans 12:2a, NLT). That is my plan, this is my goal. I seek to be transformed. Not only doing/being what is in my finite human power to do – but HIS transforming. Making a firm decision to take action to learn and accept and walk in more of His love, trust His hand and bow more in gratitude of His mercy and grace.

Revelation.

I pray over us as Paul did, “I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” (Amen) – Ephesians 3:14-20 (NIV)

From our home to yours, a hardy blessed (full of revelation) Happy New Year.

In Him, DeDe & Mark (“Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love & good deeds.” – Hebrews 10:24)