What do you Want in the New Year?

What do you want in 2017?

Stop and think about it.

This year could turn out like all the others.

A bunch of well intentioned resolutions meant to rev us up a bit, a list of good intentions and exhausted attempts at being more, doing more, wanting more.

And still – the same results: failure, disappointment, and unfulfilled longings.

Not me.

Not this year.

This year I want more.

This year I want a closer walk with Jesus. I want more power, more fruit, more flavor. 

This year, I want Jesus.

I want to cease from striving. I want to quit fearing. I want to simply rest in Him.

And God wants exactly the same for me.

I’m learning that there are 3 main ways God uses to teach us to trust him:

#1 He breaks down all our security structures

What is it you trust? Is it your job or your income? Is if your pastor or your Church? Is it your talents and your reputation? You can tell how much you trust something by how you react when you lose it. If you feel threatened and fear encroaches at the prospect of losing it, then you’ve likely put your trust in it. God knows that you’ll never be happy with just that thing and will do whatever it takes to break you out of that security structure. He is committed to show you that He is more than enough for you. It’s only when you lose what you trust most that you learn how dear and trustworthy God is.

#2 He allows difficult circumstances that we can’t fix

You know those prayer requests that God still hasn’t answered you decades later? You know those people who won’t stop hating on you? Yeah, they’re God’s provision for you. My friend sent me this definition of God’s pruh-vizh-uh n: God turning ever moment into a chance to experience the fullness of his love. Every circumstance that puts you at the end of yourself is His provision to show you His love. Will you trust him in it?

#3 He places us in the eye of the storm

See, it’s in the eye of the storm that we cry out to him. It’s in the eye of the storm that we finally bend our knees and pray. It’s in the eye of the storm that His word becomes our lifeline, His promise become our life. And until His word becomes a priority in our life we will never really get to know him. See, He reveals himself to us in his word. That’s where we meet Jesus.

I believe that Christians have lost their voice in this world primarily because of our love for materialism and our constant state of worry.

We love our stuff and are deathly afraid of losing it.

We are constantly competing with each other for more stuff.

We are not unlike like everybody else around us.

No wonder no one is listening to us.

But what if we could change?

What if in 2017 we were willing to give all that we have for the sake of knowing him more?

Wouldn’t it be worth it?

Looking for a great resource to start the new year with? Check out the Resolved 10 week Bible study with DVD series. Make 2017 your best year yet.