I have a love/hate relationship with New Year’s Resolutions. Mostly hate. Because I used to live striving to become a better version of me, and she was continually out of reach.

These days, it feels like everyone is always trying to improve themselves.

But it’s never enough. No one is content with where they are now. So many people seem to be striving to become something better rather than enjoying the journey.

I agree that growth is important. We’re here to learn and grow and love each other along the way.

I just think we have this idea that it’s all up to us. That WE can make things happen, so we work toward self-improvement and place our hope in all we could become or do, in how that might fix our lives.

But it doesn’t. It won’t.

Today’s guest post is from Pam Lenhart, otherwise known as MY MOM. She’s wise and deep and she loves Jesus and encouraging people. When I read her thoughts today, I knew they needed to be shared. Enjoy!

 

To Be God’s Yes

It seems every year there is a word or a thought that keeps coming back to me for the whole year.

TRUST was what the Lord reminded me to do for all of 2015, and 2014 was the reminder that I CAN trust God with everything.

That was the year my husband fell and had a brain injury that changed our lives. God wanted me to continue to trust Him through it all in 2015. He has walked us through so much.

As 2015 came to a close, (our pastor) Scott Lehr spoke on what is the faith step God wants you… to take as your Christmas gift to him?

The word that kept coming back to me was YES.

Do you remember the movie, Yes Man from a few years ago? I never did see it, but the previews showed that he had to say yes to everything anyone asked.

That could get you into a lot of trouble. Unless you are saying YES to whatever God wants of you.

I thought maybe He wanted me to be his “yes man”, er…woman.

I’ve been reading daily in Acts. The last couple days of 2015 I read about Peter in Acts chapter 10.

God took Peter down a notch. He gave him a new vision and changed his life. Then He told him some men were coming for him and to go without hesitation.

The next day Peter obeyed. He went with them. He became God’s yes man.

Ok, Lord, I see the pattern.

God sent Peter to a religious man who was good and respected, but not right with God–because he didn’t know he needed to surrender his life to Jesus Christ, the Savior. He needed to do things God’s way and follow him wholeheartedly.

Because Peter obeyed God, because he said YES and went without hesitation, God used him to introduce a good man to Jesus Christ for a total life change.

Yeah, I heard that, Lord. I get it.

So my resolution, goal, plan, prayer, however you want to say it, for 2016 is to be God’s YES.

To go without hesitation, without thinking it over, without wondering if that is really what God wants of me….. Just to say yes and go.

Now its out there and you can hold me accountable. And FYI, I’m not going to be perfect at it. Because, well, I’m a sinful, selfish, stubborn and weak person–saved by grace and loved unconditionally by my Savior and Lord.

What about you? What faith step does God have for you this year?

I’d love to hear about it.