I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. Philippians 3:12 (NLT)
Happy New Year and welcome to 2012. Isn't this the year it's all supposed to end? I hope you're ready...Seriously, I don't believe in that stuff, but I do hope YOU'RE ready because you never know...
I was reading all the New Year's resolutions on Facebook and then seeing several posts about how others were not going to make resolutions because they fail or they're silly, etc. I have often said the same thing and then I thought, what if we never wanted more, what if we never wanted to be better, what if we said we were good enough to God? Yikes.
Interesting. I found the above scripture. Go, read it again. I like it. We should keep pressing on no matter how content we are with where we're at. What if God decided we were good enough and moved on, leaving us to fend for ourselves? He wants us to press on to be Christ-like. I have to admit that I probably thought I was pretty mature ten years ago...or twenty years ago. I've said many times, I sure hope that people don't still judge me on things I did or said in high school...and even after high school. I am so glad that not only did I not give up on becoming a better person, neither did my Heavenly Father. It's a team effort. I have to want to be better and he is there to help me, support me, encourage me and pick me up when I fall.
Jay and I always encourage our kids to do better...not that what they're doing isn't good enough, but that they shouldn't ever settle. We don't mean that in a materialistic way either. There is a fine line there though...encouraging your children to go to college or a trade school and get a good job that will support them and their families and provide for their futures-without encouraging them to look for the dollar signs. I'm not sure how you juggle the explanation there.
I have had this conversation with my kiddos recently because of a friend they have who isn't forced to go to school (or at least that is our take on it) and how "lucky" he is. I have tried to explain to them that although it may sound fun, not going to school every day, that their future will depend on the choices they make now and whether they go to school and get decent grades. And he may be doing what he's doing right now for the rest of his life. Realistically, that won't provide very well for his future family. So I went on to tell them that they can do whatever they want for the rest of their lives, but they will be going to school...because their goals in life may change (wow, I hope;) and a high school education, at the least, is a must.
And really the typical New Year's resolutions are things we should be working on all year, right? Healthy eating, exercise, more family time, spending less, better organization, committing more time to God, witnessing to others, etc. I know all of those apply to me, yes, I have lots of work to do. And with the passing of another year and the holiday hustle and bustle, it just seems right to start the new year with a refreshed outlook and goals.
So I'm not necessarily making New Year's resolutions, but I am going to resolve to do better and redirect my focus. I do believe that to be happy, you need to be content...but I also believe that we should never stop pressing on...striving to be all that God has planned for us. Happy 2012, friends.
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