Saturday, January 19, 2013

New Year's Resolution

I have never been big on New Year's resolutions, but the start of January and a brand new year does present the opportunity to reflect on the previous year and look ahead with expectation and even a few goals.

As I was thinking back over 2012, one of the things that stuck out to me was the way I have seen my siblings dig deeper in their relationship with Jesus. They have impressed me and encouraged me, surprising me sometimes with the depth of their faith and in a sense, challenging me in the same way.

Based on that, I started to look at my own relationship with The Lord and was challenged to let Him be my sufficiency- and to learn and grow in my understanding of what that means for me this year. I can be stubborn and independent, hating to ask for help unless absolutely necessary. Yet, even though I like to depend only on myself, there is still a longing in my heart that is easy to fill with other things. Truthfully only God can fill that hole, putting joy there that can bubble up and spill over as I allow Him to work in my heart. One of the ways I have been growing in this area is by reading more Scripture, and asking God to give me an even greater hunger for His Truth. I don't want devotions to be just another check-mark on my "good things done" list, but rather one of the tools that God uses to teach and guide me. I have found so far that the more I read, the more I want to read. Sure, there are plenty of things that can distract from that time with God, but when I see it not just as a task but rather my lifeline, it becomes so much more important.

Did God challenge you with any New Year's resolutions? How are you growing in your relationship with Him?

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