Let's Stop the New Year's Resolution Game Playing.

How many of us have made a New Year's resolution only to start and stop soon after the new year began.  I used to say "I'm going to start my diet, look for a new job, clean out my closet, go to the gym to exercise, go to bed earlier", so forth and so on....you know the drill.

About 20 years ago, I decided to stop that insanity.  Instead, I began to pray and ask the Lord to help me prioritize my life for each new year and seek Him for what is it He would have me focus on for the new year.  I asked Him first and sought His guidance, before coming up with my own plans.

I learned that with spiritual goals, you don't have to feel defeated and go about kicking yourself in the shin because your commitment only lasted six weeks.  There is no failure in God.  If you fall down, all you have to do is get back up and earnestly pray and seek Him and find strength in Him to achieve your goals.

Praying and knowing that our priorities come from Him makes all the difference in the world.  He is faithful and because of Him success is an option.  In Philippians 3:14, Paul wrote "I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus".  And, in I Timothy 1:5, Paul, wrote "But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith."  Spiritual goals speak to a higher calling and a desire to do what the Lord has for us, not just for each new year, but for the rest of our lives.  Is that a challenge?  Yes, you bet it is, but with Him all things are possible.

Join me for our next podcast as we hear from our guest, Desireé M. Wilkins, MATL, and learn which will it be for her – another New Year's resolution or a fresh approach to setting spiritual goals?