A Daily Resolution

Happy New Year!! Isn't it funny to hear people chat this time of year? Oh, it's resolution time! But what is a resolution? A goal? Hope? Maybe a wish?

If there was a survey six months from now how many people would even remember their resolution, no less still be committed to them?

What if we as Christians resolved to be more committed to God and his commands? Not for the year, but forever. To wake up everyday and set our goal on being more like Christ.

I'm not saying resolutions aren't a positive thing, but I am suggesting that we should live our daily lives with the goal of wanting to be like Jesus.

The best part is this goal is guilt free. God has made us imperfect humans. He knows we will have days that we will mess up. He sent his son to die for us so that we have to come to Him to ask for grace, in order to be free of sin.

What an amazing gift, right?! Even when we don't keep our commitment of living and being more like Him, we can ask for forgiveness and start new every single day (not just at the beginning of the year!) That is truly a guilt free resolution, for your everyday life.

Imagine not only the personal gain this goal would have, but the impact you could leave on those who come in contact with you. If you woke up daily and lived out the fruits of the spirit, or put on the full armor of God, don't you think people would begin to take notice? The Lord will no doubt use you in ways you never could have dreamed.

So how can we wake up everyday and keep our resolution of being like Christ?

Here are some things I do to keep my life on track with God.

-Pray continuously.

Pray for answers, pray in thankfulness, pray for patience, pray for help, pray, pray and pray some more! Talking to God is the key to having a personal relationship with him.

-Post scriptures that encourage you, make you feel happy, or challenge you. I have mine on mirrors and doors around my room, also in my car. They are constant reminders of where your mind and heart should be focused.

-Read AND study your Bible. By study I mean, learn, ask questions, memorize, and understand.

• Do you know the ten commandments?
• Do you know the fruits of the spirit?
• Do you know what it means to put on the full armor of God?
• Do you have a (few) favorite verse(s) memorized?

-Read books that can teach you more about God. (Try Blue like Jazz, Velvet Elvis, The Purpose Driven Life, to name a few)

-Surround yourself with friends that you can talk about Jesus with and will encourage you in your faith. (LOFT and the Impakt Service are great places to make new friends!)

-Think BIG. God has done and will continue to do big things all over the world. So don't just pray for your friends and family, pray for your church, community, school, state, country, government, and world. (This is being mission minded!)

We cannot comprehend the power our Lord God has and the impact our prayers have on his creation. So this year, instead of a year long resolution, make a daily commitment to live in and for Jesus Christ!

This is an amazing passage by Matt Batterson:

Read it & Live it!!

"Quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death. Grab life by the mane. Set God-sized goals. Pursue God-ordained passions. Go after a dream that is destined to fail without divine intervention. Keep asking questions. Keep making mistakes. Keep seeking God. Stop pointing out problems and become part of the solution. Stop repeating the past and start creating the future. Stop playing it safe and start taking risks. Expand your horizons. Accumulate experiences. Consider the lilies. Enjoy the journey. Find every excuse you can to celebrate everything you can. Live like today is the first day and last day of your life. Don't let what's wrong with you keep you from worshipping what's right with God. Burn sinful bridges. Blaze a new trail. Criticize by creating. Worry less about what people think and more about what God thinks. Don't try to be who you're not. Be yourself. Laugh at yourself.

Quit holding out. Quit holding back. Quit running away.

Chase the lion. " -Lion Chasers Manifesto