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January Devotional
I have a confession to make - are you ready? I hope
that you will not be disappointed in me! My confession
is this: Every single January of my life I have felt
like a big, fat failure!! My feelings of nonsuccess
are really quite easy to understand because I believe
that you might just be dealing with the same issues
of inadequacy this month.
Every January, for my entire adult life, I have made
New Year's Resolutions of unreachable heights. Perhaps
your list looks something like mine:
1.Lose 30 pounds by March 1.
2.Read my Bible every day for at
least an hour.
3.Don't yell at my kids ever again.
4.No more dust bunnies under any
piece of furniture in my home.
5.No extravagant spending at all
this year.
6.Spend an hour a day in prayer and
worship.
7.Teach a Sunday School class, volunteer
to be on the mission's Committee, take meals to the
homebound, do hospital visitation, make friends with
the pastor's wife, open my home to visiting Evangelists,
substitute in the nursery at church...
The list goes on and on and on, doesn't it? I have
come to understand that the reason I feel like a failure
is because I have set myself up to be a failure. When
God looks at my list of New Year's Resolutions, I
wonder if he shakes his head in amazement at my resolve.
Perhaps God's list of New Year's resolutions is more
realistic than mine ... more reachable than mine ...
and He is the God of the Impossible!!
Maybe God's list would look something like this:
1.Just enjoy My presence this year!
2.Be kind to the people that I strategically
place in your life. Be a living, breathing demonstration
that the fruits of the Spirit really are a great way
to live life!
3.Recognize Me as your Provider
and be a good steward of what I have given to you.
4.Keep the minor things minor. Trust
me.
5.I hope that My Word will be your
favorite Book every year of your life!
As I read that list, suddenly the guilt leaves and
I know that I can be who He wants me to be! I don't
have to strive or prove myself to Him ... I simply
have to listen to His voice, enjoy His presence and
obey His Word! Now ... even I can do that!! I am bound
for success as I set my sights on Him and His will
and not on self and my list of unrealistic expectations.
What do you say? Will you join me in our quest for
success in 2007?! Let's resolve to simply love Him
more ... have a thankful heart ... and trust His Word.
Let's smile rather than frown ... and sing rather
than whine. I can't wait to get started!!
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