Ahhh, the New Year! Often,
we look at the new year as turning the page into the chapter of our book called
life. With the new year comes new
beginnings and a time for us to reflect on what went well during the past year,
where we veered off path, and what do we want to do differently in the new year. We will name these new beginnings words like
goals, resolutions, or dreams. Self-development
tends to be at the center of these new chapters in our lives.
There was a time in my life when I put a great deal of focus
into self-improvement or self-development.
I felt that if I read enough books on a certain aspect that I wanted to
improve upon, I would find the golden answer to what I needed to do, or not do, in
order to achieve success. I spent an
incredible amount of time journaling goals, documenting developments, and
ensuring I was doing everything possible to meet these goals. Typically, within six months, I was
disappointed that I did not reach the goal.
It was a terrible reflection on my ability to depend on myself to make
improvements in my life. Like the Scarlet
Letter, I word a huge F on my chest for Failure.
What I learned over the years is that I needed to shift my
focus. By setting these self-improvement
goals and resolutions, I was depending on what I needed to do in order to make
changes. I set the goals, I set the
journey, I executed the journey, and I reaped the benefits (or not). Get the picture – I was walking in MY path
set by me.
Friends, we are just not that talented. Our path is not set by us, but by God. The plan for our lives is developed by the
One who loves us so much that He sent His Son to save us. When I shifted my focus from me to God, I
realized that I was not living the plan He had for me; I was living my plan. When I went to God in prayer, and truly
listened to what He was saying, my focus changed – and His path was my correct
path – not the one that I structured.
It is hard to depend on God.
We are humans, we are sinners and we like to be in control of our own
destiny. The fact is that we are not,
only God has that level of control. What
do we do? Go to Him and ask. Listen to His words. Read the Bible for answers and know that our
path is laid out by the One who has our best interests in mind, God. We need simple faith and dependence on Him
for all that is good.
Video that complements this post:
Dearest God, help us to shift our focus for this new year
from us to you. May we depend on You to
show us the right path for us. Amen!
No comments:
Post a Comment