God Solutions Instead of Resolutions
During my morning commute one day, I heard on the radio that there is always a significant rise in gym memberships the first week of January every year. It went on to say that six weeks later there’s also a significant amount of membership cancellations. Isn’t it funny how often we go into a new year ready to better ourselves just to end up back where we started soon after? For some reason we’ve been wired to think we have to set new year’s resolutions in order to adopt better habits as if because it’s a new year, we will actually see our resolutions through. But let’s be honest, bad habits are hard to break!
I’m one of those people who never could commit to new year’s resolutions. I enjoy my comfort zones of chillin in sweatpants, eating junk food and binge watching shows I’ve already watched before. I’m not proud to admit I would rather sit around on my butt all day than deal with all the ways I feel I need to better myself, but it’s just easier than actually putting the work in to maintain a lifestyle of having it all together.
As the start of a new year approached, I sat in my season of pain and grief over losing my dad, realizing that tomorrow is not promised. It’s time to wake up from my slumber and live the life of purpose that I was meant to live. So I began to ask myself how I could get unhindered from this place of aimlessly going to God only knows where.
I prayed for direction as I asked the Lord:
What would be a more effective way to set goals that work for my lifestyle?
What do I want to see more of this year?
What habits do I need to adopt in order to break the cycle of bad ones that have clung to me year after year?
What do I want for my marriage, my kids, my relationships, my career, etc?
What am I called to pursue with passion?
Should I jump on the new year’s resolution bandwagon once and for all?!
I decided no. LOL I’m sure all you resolution setters are shaking your heads at me. (It’s just not my thing!)
The answer to all my questions was simple: Him.
His ways are more effective. His heart is what I want to see more of. His good habits are what I need to adopt. His will is what I want for my marriage, my kids, my career, etc. His plans are what I’m called to pursue.
There’s nothing that I desire more than for his desires to shape mine.
If this sounds like you, then read on!
I didn’t place the following scripture under any specific topic because it’s powerful enough to transform the way we think about the future in any area of life.
And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow–not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love – Romans 8:38
Did you get that?! Not even the powers of hell can separate us from his love! If you simply insert this truth into every hindrance you face this year, you will surely find the peace of God there. We have nothing to fear or worry about when the God of all creation promises to remain with us. Be confident and convinced, standing on this promise alone for the new year and you can’t go wrong!
Alright, without any further delay, here is a list of God’s promises to stand on and help us get through some of the things that we might struggle with this year! I pray that these words from him will leave you feeling lifted up and excited as you walk out the rest of the year expectant of the great things that will come out of believing in them. I have no doubt that they are meant for all who take the time to read them.
God Solutions
to Stand on for:
|Yourself|
Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.
I have called you by name; you are mine.
When you go through deep waters,
I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty,
you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression,
you will not be burned up;
the flames will not consume you. – Isaiah 43:1-2
Isn’t it incredible that the same God who promised these things to the Israelites way back then, is the same God whose promises stand true for us today? Don’t you just love the way his word says, “I have called you by name; you are mine.” It makes me feel so… chosen and held. I believe this verse is a call to action as it says “do not be afraid”. He’s calling us to move forth and as we do, he simply wants us to know what it means to be HIS. He calls us to step out in faith and gives us a solid foundation to walk along. He gives us a heads up that there will be challenges and promises to hold us when the ground beneath our feet starts to rattle.
So, do not be afraid! Challenge yourself to eat better and lose that weight you’ve been so unhappy with. Challenge yourself to change your negative thinking patterns and break free from what holds you back from pursuing what you love. Challenge yourself to be more kind and have grace not only for others but especially for yourself! Challenge yourself to step out into deep waters and walk through raging fire! He promises to be there with you and will not let you be consumed by failure!
|Marriage|
This is my prayer for you: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ - Philippians 1:9-10
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. –Romans 12:9-10
It has always been said that marriage is hard. For those of us who are married, we all know it certainly has its challenges. Here’s the thing though, when we walk through it standing on our own strength and understanding we limit ourselves to just that. Our own understanding in the midst of our offenses and expectations can often be deceiving and our strength eventually runs out. Next thing you know, you’re finding yourself bickering in your mind, then with your words, and in your actions, you blow up in anger and resentment.
When his word tells us to abound in knowledge so that we may be able to discern what’s best, in regards to our marriages, he is teaching us that what’s best is loving our spouses in a way that reflects the love and grace of Christ. So, the outcomes of how we react to the challenges that we face in our marriage should always honor the Father above ourselves.
I challenge you to begin to use these scriptures as a gauge in how you should respond to the things that make marriage “hard”. From petty annoyances to full blown disagreements, in all the things, before you respond, ask yourself: Are you being sincere in your thoughts? Are you clinging to the goodness of God? Will the way you’re about to respond honor God and highlight the character of Jesus? Most importantly, is your perspective eternal, making certain that your actions will be pure and blameless in the sight of the Lord? If not, then pause and ask the Lord for depth of insight to discern what’s best!
|Parenting|
but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments - Exodus 20:6
observe and seek out all the commandments of the Lord your God, that you may possess this good land and leave it for an inheritance to your children after you forever. -1 Chronicles 28:8
Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you - Deuteronomy 8:5
As children of God we are called to seek the counsel of Jesus so that we would know the standards by which we are to live as Christians. The book of Matthew chapters 5-7 gives an illustration of Jesus on a mountain delivering a sermon (The Sermon on the Mount) to his people. Throughout these three highly valuable passages of the bible, Jesus outlines the character traits that we are expected to walk in.
If you had the chance to read the eulogy I wrote for my dad I’m sure you would agree that he was this type of parent. During his time here on earth he sought the example of Jesus in all that he did and he demonstrated for his children, how to walk it out.
Our Father God desires for us as parents to do the same for our children. Seek, follow and model the example of Jesus. There is no better way we can raise our children than to show them the behaviors we expect to see from them.
In my household, I’m the parent you could call the “yeller”. Almost daily, at least once, I yell at my kids for yelling in the house or yelling at each other. “IS THAT AN INSIDE VOICE?!”, I yell. And then I hear the gentle voice of Jesus ask me Is THAT an inside voice? I can’t help but laugh as I think about all the times I come down on my children for things I do myself (insert face palm emoji here). I wanted to share a different version of the verse above from Deuteronomy 8:5. The NLT version says it like this:
Think about it: Just as a parent disciplines a child, the Lord your God disciplines you for your own good.
This scripture along with the other two I’ve listed above have everything to do with seeking the commandments of God, doing our best to live by them, accepting discipline when we don’t and leading by example knowing that THIS is the will of God for us as parents and it’s for our own good and the good of our children. Challenge yourself!
If you want to take the challenge a step further I strongly encourage you to join me in committing to reading and studying the Sermon on the Mount at least once a month for the rest of this year! I have no doubts that the Lord will bless our lives and strengthen our character through it! Also, be on the lookout for a future post where I will be sharing a simplified outline of the Sermon on the Mount!
|Career|
Commit your work to the Lord and your plans will be established –Proverbs 16:3
Do not be lazy but work hard. Serve the Lord with all your heart - Romans 12:11
being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus –Philippians 1:6
Whether you sit at a desk, are on your feet running around, work for a large corporation or have your own home based business; whatever you do for work, If you’re anything like me, inviting God into the busyness of your day can be tough.
It’s so easy to get tangled up in the chaos and stress of hard work. In the thick of coming up with plans, meeting deadlines, solving problems, keeping people safe, keeping people happy, and all the rest, we unintentionally neglect the peace and presence of God. Still, he desires to be involved.
My dad always said, “In all things you must work hard to be successful, then you will reap a harvest of blessings.” So with that, my challenge for you in light of your work, is to commit all things to the Lord and be diligent in making sure that your work serves him above all else. With that he will be able to carry it on to completion and you will reap a harvest of blessings!
|Health
Finances
Provision|
Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing. –Psalm 34:10
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” - Hebrews 13:5
And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. -Philippians 4:19
I will bless this city and make it prosperous; I will satisfy its poor with food - Psalm 132:15
His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness -2 Peter 1:3
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. - 1 Corinthians 10:31
There are so many scriptures in the bible that speak about the Lord’s promise of provision. Ultimately, what his word is saying is if he’s called us to it, he will get us through it. This means he knows our needs and will meet them as long as we are walking in alignment with his will and purpose. If it’s finances you need to do his good works, he will fund it. If it’s physical or emotional healing, he will restore you! If it’s direction you seek, he will light your path. If it’s courage, strength, patience, grace, whatever! As long as it is for the benefit of the kingdom, he will make a way! All he requires from us is our trust and faith in his all knowing power to meet our every need.
So let’s challenge ourselves to increase our trust and faith in the Lord’s provisions so that we can do our part to increase the kingdom! If we do this, not only will we lack no good thing, but we will prosper!
|Relationships|
Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. - Hebrews 10:24-25
Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise. - Proverbs 19:20
The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense. - Proverbs 27:9
Our creator fashioned us to be relational with other people. Think about some of the things that the bible says about this: Where two or three gather… A friend sharpens a friend… Be fruitful and increase in number… Bear with each other… Two are better than one…
As followers of Christ, our hearts are designed to need other people in order to live like he did. Even the most introverted individuals are called to fellowship with other believers for the sake of giving or receiving prayer, encouragement, counsel, accountability, etc. On the flip side, we also need interactions with those who are far from God in order fulfill our calling to help the lost be found.
In drawing things to a close, my last challenge for you to first pursue a deeper relationship with Jesus as your friend above all others. As you grow in your relationship with him ask God to begin to strengthen the relationships with the people you already have in your life as well as add others who will only enhance who you have already become in Christ. Finally, challenge yourself to hold fast to the instruction in the scriptures above and walk in them. Be intentional about motivating others to do good works and heed to heartfelt counsel. Never neglect to meet with one another because as his word reminds us… We’re better and stronger together!
So there you have it! Now you can toss that list of resolutions and challenge yourself to stand on God’s Promises instead! Remember, He is your solution to every hindrance big or small and he wants to be involved in every part of your journey to fulfill his purpose in glorifying his name through your life!
I sincerely hope you enjoyed reading! I can’t wait to see what promises he gives us to stand on a for next year!
Have a blessed and unhindered 2022!