Make Me New
I’m a list-nerd. I love calendars, organization, and order so coming up with a new list of goals in January is an anticipated event in our household. This year, as my husband and I sat by the heat of our fireplace after the kids were in bed armed with our pens and paper, I found myself at a loss for words. As I tried to evaluate the past year and looked ahead with great anticipation, a single question became central in my thinking that I couldn’t shake.
In what ways will God make ME NEW this year?
Maybe the question had something to do with the ever changing whiteboard in our kitchen displaying our families weekly verse. This week’s was Revelation 21:5 “He who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new….”
Perhaps it was the snow that had gently fallen in large snowflakes all day that now covered the ugly brown ground in a blanket of white. Whatever it was, that question began to fill me with both apprehension and excitement.
In what ways WILL God make me new this year?
I'm certain God has areas He would like to make new in me, but I wonder how often I deny Him access? It takes effort on my part and sometimes it’s not entirely comfortable or easy. Often I even manage to fool myself into thinking the old way is better. If I don’t occasionally take time to evaluate and ask myself hard questions I begin to think that maybe I don’t need “new” after-all.
How do I grow deeper in my faith?
How do I get ahead of my bursts of anger?
How do I connect more deeply in my relationships?
How do I become more content and generous at the same time?
How do I help those in need?
How do I reach out and connect with those around me?
How do I manage and steward my health?
How do I get to a place of forgiveness and wanting to move forward in difficult relationships?
How do I love well this year?
What was suppose to be my list of 2019 goals became a list of long term life-altering sorts of questions. I know what and who I hope to be someday, but getting to that someday goal requires the day in and out small work now. I have to allow God to make me new and much like investing in retirement, it’s a slow process with the hope that one day it will pay off in character. It’s breaking down my faith journey into small steps, one after the other, day after day, and year after year.
Maybe I’m weird but sometimes I think about the grey haired, wise, joy filled woman I hope to become and I’m realizing more and more that won’t simply happen on it’s own. The key to the future is in the now and this year for me it looks like...
Committing to verse memory and asking the Holy Spirit to become a more active part of my daily life.
It’s reading books on strategy and asking God to give my control over my actions.
It’s taking time to not only spend time with friends, but push past the surface to deeper conversations of the heart.
It’s thanking God daily for what I have and praying for opportunities and a heart that is ready to give with an open hand.
It’s seeking out need by simply looking around instead of in.
It’s looking through a lens that sees every person as valuable and worth it.
It’s having self awareness and self discipline in my everyday lifestyle choices.
It’s about facing the difficult things in life knowing that sometimes doing the difficult, humble thing actually leads to a new level of freedom.
It’s these small goals, year after year, that add up to the person I will become and am currently becoming in the process. Will I do them all perfectly? Not even close, but in my daily awareness and by His strength, He will make all things new, even me.
In what ways will God make ME NEW this year?
Maybe the question had something to do with the ever changing whiteboard in our kitchen displaying our families weekly verse. This week’s was Revelation 21:5 “He who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new….”
Perhaps it was the snow that had gently fallen in large snowflakes all day that now covered the ugly brown ground in a blanket of white. Whatever it was, that question began to fill me with both apprehension and excitement.
In what ways WILL God make me new this year?
I'm certain God has areas He would like to make new in me, but I wonder how often I deny Him access? It takes effort on my part and sometimes it’s not entirely comfortable or easy. Often I even manage to fool myself into thinking the old way is better. If I don’t occasionally take time to evaluate and ask myself hard questions I begin to think that maybe I don’t need “new” after-all.
How do I grow deeper in my faith?
How do I get ahead of my bursts of anger?
How do I connect more deeply in my relationships?
How do I become more content and generous at the same time?
How do I help those in need?
How do I reach out and connect with those around me?
How do I manage and steward my health?
How do I get to a place of forgiveness and wanting to move forward in difficult relationships?
How do I love well this year?
What was suppose to be my list of 2019 goals became a list of long term life-altering sorts of questions. I know what and who I hope to be someday, but getting to that someday goal requires the day in and out small work now. I have to allow God to make me new and much like investing in retirement, it’s a slow process with the hope that one day it will pay off in character. It’s breaking down my faith journey into small steps, one after the other, day after day, and year after year.
Maybe I’m weird but sometimes I think about the grey haired, wise, joy filled woman I hope to become and I’m realizing more and more that won’t simply happen on it’s own. The key to the future is in the now and this year for me it looks like...
Committing to verse memory and asking the Holy Spirit to become a more active part of my daily life.
It’s reading books on strategy and asking God to give my control over my actions.
It’s taking time to not only spend time with friends, but push past the surface to deeper conversations of the heart.
It’s thanking God daily for what I have and praying for opportunities and a heart that is ready to give with an open hand.
It’s seeking out need by simply looking around instead of in.
It’s looking through a lens that sees every person as valuable and worth it.
It’s having self awareness and self discipline in my everyday lifestyle choices.
It’s about facing the difficult things in life knowing that sometimes doing the difficult, humble thing actually leads to a new level of freedom.
It’s these small goals, year after year, that add up to the person I will become and am currently becoming in the process. Will I do them all perfectly? Not even close, but in my daily awareness and by His strength, He will make all things new, even me.
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