Monday Motivation... 2019 Resolutions

I LOVE the New Year.

I am pretty sure I say this every year... but every year it is true.

I love the fresh start that the new year offers. I love the idea of leaving the old behind and embracing the new. I love the possibilities the next 12 months hold. I love that there is potential for improving myself and my life. I love the idea of starting over.

Yes, you cynical person who is shaking your head because we obviously can make these changes on any given day, I know you are out there and I do realize that your argument is valid. We CAN make changes on any given day. You may want to remind me that there is no more reason to hope on December 31 than there is on July 31. You may want to bring to my attention that all the troubles I had on December 31 are likely still here today. You may think I am silly for making resolutions when they are so often broken within weeks.

That's fine. Be cynical. You do you. I'm gonna do me and that means I'm gonna totally love the heck out of the new year.

I wanted to find a scripture to support my desire to make resolutions and was confronted with one consistent Biblical truth...

God makes the plans.

From Genesis to Revelation, people made plans and God upset them with His own plans... better plans... plans that had an eternal impact... plans that accomplished His purpose.

I want my life to make an eternal impact. I want it to matter that I was here. I am not foolish enough to think that God would use me as He used those whose lives are recorded in Scripture. That's not at all what I'm proposing. I just want to spread a little love, a little joy. I want to share Jesus with a few people and, in doing so, encourage them. I want my life to give others hope... if God can use me, he can use ANYBODY. Goodness, if God took the time to save me, He will save ANYBODY.

That being said, I have one resolution for 2019.

I want to be more like Jesus.

Now we all know I can't just leave it there....

I want my life to reflect more of Jesus. I want my attitude to be more like that of Jesus. I want to love more of what He loves and hate more of what He hates. I want to be filled to overflowing with His love. I want to Fruit of the Spirit to grow in me so much that it is what characterizes me. I want to BE Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control. I want to love people like He does. I want to SEE them like He does. I want to be filled with compassion for people who are struggling in sin and I want to share the hope that Christ offers with them.

I've been a Christian for a while and I am a very different woman than I was before I knew Christ. Even so, there are things that I have struggled with all my life, things that I have held on to either because I thought they were insignificant or because I like them. (honesty is brutal) I gave up lots of  things and changed lots of other things quite easily when I started following Jesus. Over time, the Holy Spirit has moved in me and prompted me to change other things, but the truth is, I haven't changed much since I first came to know Christ.

I want to be more like Jesus.

When 2019 comes to a close, I do not want to be the same woman I am today.  I want to be changed. I want to be noticeably changed. For once, I know exactly what I want that to look like...

more like Jesus.

Happy New Year!
K