For the Woman Who’s Tired of Broken “New Year’s Resolutions”
With New Year’s Day right around the corner, it’s already beginning. It’s that time when we start reflecting on the past year’s shortcomings and aspire to improve ourselves in the coming year. It seems common for many of us to envision how we want to “start fresh” in the new year, like what we want to do better and change about ourselves and our routines. But there’s just something about the changing of a new year that feels like the perfect time to start over with a blank slate.
Yet what typically happens two weeks, a month, or six weeks later? So many of us return to square one, having yet to develop the new habits we originally set out to create. As a result, our New Year’s resolutions are forgotten and lie dormant, waiting to be revived at the turn of the following year.
In just a short time, we go from feeling hopeful with detailed plans to exercise consistently, journal daily, eat healthier, read more books, or whatever changes we obsess over to feeling frustrated because of failing to accomplish the resolutions we were passionate about initially. But, of course, our usual response to such failure is to push it aside, ignore it, and convince ourselves that our life wasn't that bad in the first place and that our hope of being a better runner or reader or someone who chooses broccoli over french fries wasn’t meant to be. After all, there’s always next year, right?
A couple of years ago, I grew tired of this same old routine. I was exhausted with feeling like I could only make big changes in my life at the start of the new year, but also I was over the routine of trying and failing to make any real progress. Then the Lord showed me something revolutionary (at least in my mind). And it changed the way I looked at New Year resolutions forever!
He told me: “Instead of a New Year resolution, it’s time to get a New Year revelation.”
What does this mean? New Year resolutions come from ourselves, and let’s be honest… Are normally broken. They are fleeting and easily forgotten. But a New Year revelation comes from God! This is where the so-called “magic” happens, where we can begin to see progress, feel change, and improve in areas that make real differences specific to our individual lives.
The biggest difference between a New Year resolution and a New Year revelation is that a resolution is done in our own strength. It’s a fleshly desire (although well-meaning and not necessarily wrong) that can only be carried out by the limits of our personal ability, strength, and fortitude.
But a New Year revelation is done in God’s strength! And the best thing about New Year revelations is that they are fool-proof when done with God because we have the Almighty working with us!
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That being said, take some time this New Year holiday to pray and seek what revelation God wants to give you. What is He asking you to focus on this year? What plan does He want to work on with you? The Lord knows exactly what new habit will benefit you most. He knows exactly what you need to learn to prepare you for what’s coming in your future. And best of all, He knows exactly how to help you stick with the new habit and accomplish what He’s leading you to do.
Therefore, let’s prioritize this year to lean not on our own understanding nor our strength. Instead, let’s allow God to guide our path, work within our hearts, and help us live out our divinely-given New Year’s revelations!