Resolution? No! Revolution!

It’s embarrassing—you look at your journal for the entry on January 1, 2022 to see what resolutions you made. You genuinely wanted these changes in your life and you worked at them and prayed for God’s strength to achieve them. What happened?

If you are like me, I fail to achieve most of the aspirations I desire. Year after year I want to see substantial change but fall short…sometimes I hardly get started. I began to question myself, ‘Are resolutions God’s desire for my life? Should a new year be the motivation for change?’ Surely God has a better way of doing this!

Statistics tell us most new year’s resolutions have been all but forgotten by the middle of February. So year after year, we face failure as we do the same old, same old.

What do you want in this next year? Resolutions that are never kept beyond two or three months or a “revolution” of who you are in every area of your life. In other words, why not make a life change and revolutionize what you do, why you do, and how you do? This kind of revolution can only come through an exchange of life…the kind of experience that God speaks about in His Word. “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” (2 Cor. 5:17)

“A new creature…” Wow! What if you could see your life as a blank slate? What would you do if you could start over again? Warning: don’t get caught in the surface behaviors that make up your past resolutions. A new creature infers an internal change that brings about outward changes. Address the area of your soul: your health mentally, emotionally, and your willingness to obey Him. Does being a woman factor into how you mentally consider your daily life as well as your future and your eternal life? What has God given to you so your emotional reactions can reflect Him? How does God’s provision of salvation create a pathway where you only do the will of the Father?.

Then, look at your lifelong desires. God has uniquely created you inside and out. Perhaps you have wanted to completely change your occupation. Maybe you have wanted to create a foundation or mission. Those desires are either from Him or just self-feeding desires.

Determine whether you have God’s stamp of approval on these desires. Then look at what is holding you back from achieving them. Are you fearful of the process? Are you afraid of failure? God can move aside any, and I mean any, circumstance if you work with Him. ““For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.” (Jer. 29:11) What inward change do you need to make to fulfill those plans?

Another revolution that may be needed in your life Is your modus operandi (way of operating). What would make the most difference in the way you conduct yourself on a daily basis? To tell yourself you don’t want to scream at your kids anymore is good. But making a stand against getting uncontrollably angry has to have a Holy Spirit touch to keep that anger from going somewhere else. I am talking about making changes in not just what you do, but get to the heart of the matter and let what is changed inside come out in what you say or do. “The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” (Prov. 16:9)

I am sure that you can see a revolution in your being this new year. Every woman who reads this can declare victory at the end of 2023. I can dare to say this because God loves those who have a teachable spirit and obey Him. It would be well worth it to take some time away from work, family, and friends to lay your life humbly before the Lord and allow Him to raise you up. The saying, “I will rise up!” takes on new meaning when you let Him raise you instead of trying to push your way with your inadequate will power.

If you think you are weak, no problem! “And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” (2 Cor. 12:9)

Woman of God – go for the grace and enjoy the revolution!