res•o•lu•tion
ˌrezəˈlo͞oSH(ə)n/
noun
1. a
firm decision to do or not to do something.
synonyms: intention, resolve, decision, intent, aim,
plan,
commitment, pledge, promise
In
January we hear this word more often than we do
the
other eleven months of the year.
A
new year, a blank page in front of us,
makes
us hopeful that things can change.
That
as humans, we can change.
And
so we resolve. We commit.
We
determine to be better,
to
do things differently this year.
More
often than not, we fail, statistics say.
Our
resolves grow weak.
Our
commitment and determination wanes
as
real life becomes hard.
And
as we, in our humanness, are still
…
human.
What
if, instead of mustering up our resolve,
we
just gave
up?
What
if instead of promising to do or to be someone new,
we
relinquished
our rights to ourselves?
What
if we surrendered?
What
if we said, “Okay God, anything You say.”
Would
things change?
Would
I, on the inside, change?
What if my whole mindset for doing things changed?
Rather
than resolve to get up earlier, what if I gave in to God?
What
if I said “Okay God, You want me to get up?
I’ll
do it Your way not mine.”
Or
instead of promising not to overdo what I eat
when
I sit down to a meal, I’d surrender and say,
“Okay
God, I’ll do this Your way.”
Would
our lives be different if we
simply
surrendered instead of resolved?
Jesus said,
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am gentle and humble in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11: 28-30
“Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost.
Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and you will delight in the richest of fare.
Seek the LORD while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.
Let the wicked forsake their ways
and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on them,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the LORD.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Isaiah 55:1,2 and 6-9
Jesus said:
“I am the vine; you are the branches.
If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit;
apart from me you can do nothing.
If you do not remain in me,
you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers;
such branches are picked up,
thrown into the fire and burned.”
John 15:5,6
In Jesus there is power!
It comes to us when we give ourselves to Him.
We will never have it by
resolving harder,
trying harder,
working harder.
We have His power when we give up everything
and rest in Him.
