Clean Slates

A new year equals a new beginning. A fresh start. A clean slate. Have you ever noticed how much human beings love new beginnings. It starts in youth and never really fades. A new box of crayons, a new puzzle book, a new car, an empty room (yet to be filled with furniture). Simple newness lifts our spirits. Why? Because newness–even in the smallest things–carries with it a grain of hope. Our souls need that hope as surely as our bodies need food and water, and that need is what drives us to make new year’s resolutions.

We resolve. We are determined. We are hopeful. And in short order the majority of us become abject failures. Why? Why do we have such terrible trouble keeping our resolutions? Two reasons:

First, we make the mistake of thinking that a resolution is promise made only to ourselves.

Second, we make the mistake of striving to keep that promise only by drawing from the meager reserve that is our own strength.

Since we know that Jesus does care about the little things–He absolutely does sweat the details–how can doubt that He takes an interest in our resolutions? He sees our resolve; He bears witness to those softly spoken promises, and our priorities matter to Him.

Consult Him, remembering that He longs to bless you, and He’ll put on your heart and plant in your spirit resolutions that will honor Him and grow you. Success comes from leaning on His strength, instead of relying on our will.


For me, putting them in writing also seems to help... So here goes...
Daily Bible study\memorization–that the voice of Jesus will remain familiar, and that I might stay constantly armed against every scheme and arrow of Satan. Help me, Jesus, to remember that every verse memorized is another piece of armor for my spirit, another morsel of food for my soul (Ephesians 6:11-12, Matthew 4:4).






Gym\Diet–Lord, I know that the physical gains I’m making are blessings from You. My continued efforts are a grateful "thank You" for the door that You’ve opened, and for the future that You have for me (Jeremiah 29:11).






Paper letters–

by writing one a week, I will be reminded of the importance of personalized encouragement. Jesus, help me to remember that speed is overrated; and sometimes, the best gift I can offer is a quiet and unhurried moment of my time.

Finally, when I do slip up, it is NOT a license to give up. An error is not an ending, unless we're looking for an excuse to quit! Whatever your goals, may you find the determination to hang on, in spite of your mistakes. Hang in there (even if only by your fingernails)... Only then, do we begin to know how deeply Jesus loves us. Consider

1 John 1:9; and remember that, in the midst of the many-fold blessings that are coming our way, we will forget all about the pain that marks this day.

If you feel like sharing, I’d be interested to know what you have resolved for 2011.