Another Christmas has made its way into the scrapbooks of our memories and, whether or not we have packed away all of our festive decor, each one of us has already stepped onto the pages of a new year. Ready or not we are inscribing our own daily history by our actions, words, attitudes, and even our thoughts. We may feel like we’re at the mercy of our uncontrollable circumstances, but let me assure you that when it comes to how we live out this precious gift of life, God has placed tremendous options in our hands and is ready to empower us to make life-changing, compelling choices. We may not have control over many of the things happening to us, but we always have control over how we to respond to them.
“We may not have control over many of the things happening to us, but we always have control over how we to respond to them.”
You don’t have to look any further than the horrific concentration camps in Nazi Germany during World War II to know this is true. Prisoners in those camps had been seized from their homes, stripped of their possessions and separated from their loved ones. Heads shaved and numbers engraved on their bodies, they were subjected to forced hard labor, starvation rations, and cruel daily lineups. Many endured beatings while others were sent to solitary confinement. Captives became keenly aware of the multitudes being sent to termination chambers, never to return. Hope became a scarce commodity—one that the enemy was determined to extinguish. Yet despite these abhorrent circumstances, there have been numerous accounts of those who refused to relinquish the power entrusted to them to choose their response in the midst of these atrocities. They refused to surrender their integrity. They refused to give up hope. They refused to abandon their faith in a God who’s love transcends even the darkest situations.
We are not promised a life of ease, though few of us will suffer like the Holocaust victims. Every life has its unique trials. Whether we struggle with health, grieve losses, or simply face the ongoing challenges of living, each day we are given the opportunity to do so with God’s help and equipping so that the words of our life’s story rise off the page to the glory of heaven!
History is filled with overcomers—those who chose triumph over defeat, hope over despair and love over hate. They were ordinary people, like you and me, making extraordinary choices because they were fervent in their resolve to choose what was best rather than what was easy.
Where have we settled for what is easiest in our lives? Where have we allowed the dust of despair to rust our resilience? Where have we compromised our character for the sake of our comfort?
We need to ask God to examine the current course of our lives and the intentions of our hearts and show us those areas that are in need of change. Do we have spurs of bitterness that need to be chiseled? Resentment that needs to be warmed into compassion? Pride that needs to be bridled into humility? Perhaps there are detrimental habits we have carelessly picked up that need to be channeled into life-giving, healthy actions. There are always areas in which we can grow, but it rarely happens accidentally. God desires that we live our best lives with His abundance. If we ask where we need to grow and change, He will be faithful to reveal it.
This is how we catch our vision for the new year and begin to write our story with intentionality. We can choose to be people that learn and people that grow. We can make changes with small, consistent steps—steps that will, over time, reveal extraordinary lives lived above our circumstances—lives recognized for the true gifts that they are and written with pens whose ink is filled from a well of spiritual abundance.
Let’s not miss the opportunity to set a new vision for 2020. It’s the perfect time to ask ourselves some tough questions and partner with God in a new plan for personal growth. Let’s set our minds on one area of change, no matter how small. One positive action can lead to another and to another. And before we know it, we will be re-writing our own history.
“With God, all things are possible.” —Matthew 19:26
Action Steps:
Pray and ask God to show you areas He wants you to grow in and change.
Define specifically what it is you wish to change.
Determine action steps and how you can measure future progress. For example, if your goal is to be more present when you interact with others, your action step might be to put your phone away at those times. Or, if your goal is to be more patient with your kids, your action step might be to take a big breath and count to 10 when you become frustrated with them before responding.
Pray again and ask God to empower you to grow in this area—to His glory!
Make a commitment to yourself (you’re worth keeping promises to!) to take one step each day toward your new goal. Celebrate each day you do so and don’t beat yourself up when you miss a day—just determine to work on it again tomorrow. Big changes come from small, consistent actions!
Go for it! Abundant life in 2020 awaits!