My New Year’s Resolution: Make No New Year’s Resolutions

New year’s resolutions are useless to me. I’ve never kept one past January 20th. So I stopped making them years ago.

I know. I know. You’re saying that by saying I’m not making any New Year’s resolutions, I’m making a resolution. I’ll let you language mavens wrestle with that one.

However, I do have some things I’m hoping for in 2013.  My men’s Bible study leader asked us these two question a few weeks ago: “What is God doing in your life right now?” Then he asked us, “What do you want God to do in your life in 2013?”  Well, none of us could answer those questions on the spot? Could you?

I prayed about the answers to those questions. God was going to have to answer them for me.  Here’s what He came up with for me. Right now, God is teaching me patience. No, I didn’t ask Him to. I know better. He is also helping me manifest in me His gift of mercy in our family. We have recently shifted from two residents in our home (Marie and  I) to five. Our daughter and her two daughters (three years and eight weeks) moved in with us last weekend and will be here for some time. Need I say more?

What He wants to do with me in 2013 is something I had to answer.  As December rolled around this year God led me to a wonderful verse that I’m claiming for my life verse for 2013.

(In case you’re interested, my lifetime life verses are: Psalm 25:4-5–“Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths, guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.”)

My life verse for 2013, however, comes right after Jesus talks about the day He will separate the sheep from the goats. Jesus teaches that the righteous will ask when did they ever, “see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? When did we ever see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?” And Jesus responds in Matthew 25:40,  “And the King said, ‘Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as you have done it to one of the least of these, my brethren, you have done it unto me.’ “

My heartfelt desire for 2013 is for God to immerse me in a whole bunch of the least of these. God revealed to me this fall that He has given me the gift of mercy If you knew me well you would think that as unexpected as I did.  I was surprised when mercy showed up, not only as one of His spiritual gifts to me, but prominently so.

To me, it sounds as if God has some exciting and new paths of His to show me. New ways to guide me into His truth. With a year ahead of me like that, why would I want to make some silly resolution? How could I possibly plan a better year for myself than He already has planned for me?

God, I’m ready for whatever You have for me. I look forward to this next year with You, waiting expectantly and anticipating with joy whatever you have in store for me.

2013? Bring it on!

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