As this new year begins, I am filled with a mixture of excitement and despair—excitement about starting anew, changing bad habits into good ones, loving better, and accomplishing goals. And then despair inevitably follows when I remember my constant failings in all of those areas.
On January 1st, I couldn't help but ask myself, "What's so special about this day? Why the sudden urge to change our lives around, get fit, and live lives full of purpose? After all, today is just the day after yesterday."
So my "resolution" is to wake up each day and live it with purpose, like it's January 1st every day. I still have goals and ideas about what I want to do this year, but even if none of those things happen, I know that something will change within my soul if I simply look to Jesus and run. This year I want to stop looking to myself for fulfillment and change. The good news is that I can't do it on my own. And the better news is that Jesus can, and will.
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:1-2
I really love this, because you are right -- every day is just the day after yesterday! I think sometimes we have to trick ourselves in to thinking there is a magic reset button so that we actually make changes that we always needed to anyways.
ReplyDeleteI was just thinking today that all we have to do is be good for today. I got frustrated with myself because I have already had trouble (read: not been exactly diligent) with my resolutions. But like your post says, all you have to do is be diligent for that day. And then the day after, of course, but focusing on the one day at a time is all you need to do.
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