Like many others do this time of year, I have made resolutions that I fully intended to carry out. At least until June. (By then it should be habit, right?) Often, I set out to conquer, determined to be strong. The temptation and tendency to pride is pretty strong. I will be better. I will be skinnier. I will be more disciplined. I will read more books. I will simplify. I will. I will. I will.
This quickly turns in to “This is my will and I will do it on my own strength.” Pride.
The second aspect of celebrating the New Year is looking back on the “old” year. That is a different and more beautiful story. Maybe my plans worked out. Maybe they didn’t. But, it was God’s will and God’s plan that was always fulfilled. And never once did I carry myself — not even in the happy times. Looking back, I see my strength leave, and God’s grace restore from an unending supply. I see many blessings that I didn’t know could even be had. I see how God revealed more of His love and mercy to me. I see Him break my will; I see Him restore my joy. Pride can’t look at that and live. Humility can.
My New Year’s prayer for myself is that my heart would not be so divided as to look on the past with humble amazement and the future with prideful ambition. May I consider both with humility and “go out with joy and go forth in peace.”
Happy New Year! May you be blessed with much joy and confidence as you see God’s plan unfold in this next year!
(P.S. And please, please check out this post from the GirlTalk blog Sitting in the New Year. This is an amazing post on how to approach New Year’s resolutions with a humble focus on God)
thoughts and songs 