It's been a good year! Can you honestly say that?

I must confess that I don't put much stock in new years "resolutions". The word resolution itself has the meaning of being firm and absolute. How many "resolutions" made last more then a week? How resolute is that? These resolutions are all to often self-focused anyway. I prefer to approach the end of one year and the beginning of another from a different perspective.

I think it's better to return our focus back to God. Too many "resolutions" are about becoming better, as though what we were last year wasn't good enough. Let's bring our attention back to who we really are. You and I will never be good enough. We are pretty messy if we're willing to admit it. With the looming future of failed attempts to attain something more you'd think New Years would be depressing. For some people I suppose it is when they are focused on themselves.

God never wastes a year in your life! Every year is good. The success and the mess. God uses it all together for his good and perfect will. Take a look back at your year and remember what God has done for you. Go ahead, right now is a good time. :)

Re-embrace the moments of his pure grace, mercy, or forgiveness that were there even in your mess. Recall the situations you survived, and the adventures you endured. Rejoice for those you know who were blessed, healed, or saved this year. I hope your focus began's to shift to your Savior with gratitude now. For every year you live there is reason to be thankful.

What should we do about next year? Approach it with confidence knowing that God has sovereignly planned every detail already. He has lovingly prepared a plan for you. He will love and accept you with or without diets, exercise, frugality, kindness, patience, success, fame, or accomplishment. These truths motivate me to be excited about another year. I'm motivated to seek God and continue courageously into whatever challenge awaits. I know I can be thankful for whatever happens.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will - to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves." (Eph. 1:3-6)

Next year will be good too. :)

-Josh