resolutions

So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.*

Surprising as it may be, half the year has now gone by! Do you remember January? The new year? Did you make any New Years Resolutions? How are you going with them? Were they good and achievable resolutions? I have a few friends who don't like the idea of new years resolutions; some don't like them as they are often too hard to achieve! Some dislike new year resolutions because apparently they limit change to one time in the year!

However, I like the idea of resolutions, and we can't stand by and wait for a better time to make resolutions, that time won't come. That's why new years is as good a time as any. Furthermore, it's important to keep looking back on resolutions and seeing how we are achieving them (or not).

 My New Year Resolutions for 2013 were:

1. Figure out where I fit in community, in what community (especially church), and what I am to do there. How I am to use the gifts God has given me in that place.

2. A continuation to work on faithfully praying for people and issues.

3. Get over some of my irrational fears; lizards and heights.

Reflecting, my fear of heights was tested as a tourist, as most touristic activities are up high! ...Look outs, towers, monuments, church steeples, they were unending! In terms of my fear of lizards, that still needs some work, but I'm not convinced it is a priority just at the moment! :p My faithfulness in prayer is something that I will probably be working on during my whole life, so I don't expect to achieve it in a year, yet I keep it as a resolution so I don't forget this long term goal. If I ever "achieved" it I'm afraid I'd get lazy and stop trying. The first point, I am still working on, but am thinking about regularly.

As human beings are ever changing, the question is, are we blindly changing or consciously changing? Do we have a say in how we are influenced and what we are being shaped into? Do you want to have a say? Do you care what you turn out as? What shapes your goals and inspires you to change? Do you have a list of things you would like to improve in? or things you want to get rid of? My list expands almost every week, and I’m afraid, I don’t ever feel accomplished enough to cross them off. It is a continuous life process; growing, learning, changing. I care a lot about who I am becoming, and I think it is important to be intentional about the process. My inspiration is my Lord and Saviour, the Perfect Man and Gracious Friend.
The latest expansion on my list has been a bit overwhelming, but I think if I aim for them one at a time over the next 50 years (:p), I’ll get there, even if it’s not exactly in order...

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.**

Now whether or not you agree with what the Bible says. Take a moment to look back over the list.

Faith. Goodness. Knowledge. Self-control. Patience. Service. Kindness. Love. They are qualities that I hope most people see as valuable. Every good and perfect thing comes from God* who is Himself Love and His Word is trustworthy to share with us what He is like and what He values. What I find as I the Bible is that I am shaped to more fully value what God values, and seeing why it is so important. One can't really have too much kindness or knowledge, faith or patience, service or love, so let us intentionally possess these and other qualities in increasing measure, to be effective and productive in understanding our Lord and God, appreciating life and the world around us. 

*James 1:16-18

**2 Peter 1:5-8