At the close of one year and the beginning of the next, millions of people evaluate where they are and seek to make changes in their lives. Hopefully you’ve had time to express your gratefulness to God for all He’s brought you through in 2014, the many blessings you’ve received, and the fact that you’re still alive to thank Him! Gratefulness is important!
What does it take to be firm, resolute, and determined? How do we make decisions, solve problems and bring conflicts to and end? Much of our growth is a matter of an inward work that manifests in outward action. Perhaps we fail because we’re unwilling to do that inward work with the Lord, addressing deeper questions like, “What am I afraid of?” “Why am I emotionally eating?” “How did I become undisciplined?” “What beliefs do I have that cause these financial woes?” “Is this relationship really meant for me at this time?” “What will it take to forgive?” We often struggle because our thoughts, feelings and spirits are unsettled.
David begged the Lord, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10) He realized that major things inside of him were going wrong and manifesting behaviors and outcomes that were not just ungodly, but not who he really wanted to be. He also knew that on his own, he was unable to change. He needed God’s creative power to give him what he could not give himself – a new heart, spirit, right motivations and grace for proper action.
As you embark on this year with hopes and desires to make changes in your life, don’t neglect that the Holy Spirit’s power and the application of the Word of God is what promotes true and lasting transformation. These gifts enable us to make prudent and wise decisions, give us insight and revelation to solve problems, and grace us to release and resolve relational issues. If you’re looking for any of those things, I suggest you cry out FIRST to the Lord for His help.
May Jesus’ blessings be upon you as you resolve to live like HIM in 2015!
