I’ve always been terrible at keeping New Year’s resolutions. I don’t know about you but for me, it seemed pointless to make them if I wasn’t even going to make it through the first month.
I like, instead, to sit down with God in prayer at the end of the year reflecting, praising and ASKING Him for a word to focus on for the year. I don’t know what the future of a year holds, but I do know that asking the Lord for vision and His goals for us is wise. I have found in past years when I was tempted to get off track or lose focus, I could always remember God’s vision for me through my word of the year to help me focus and stay on His path.
Build/rebuild was my word last year. When life got tough, I remembered that what God was building in us was worth it. It definitely was!
After all, He did last year and the dreams He gave us to be built in the future, I was so excited for a glimpse of what the new year would hold. So when God gave me the word TIME for 2021 I was a little confused. I didn’t want that word—especially since Phil’s word is CATAPULT. How do catapult and time go together? Those two words seem opposite each other. One is launching forward and the other is pulling back. I had a preconceived expectation of what TIME would mean for me this year and I was bummed. I went to God about my stubbornness and disappointment, and He graciously clarified what TIME meant for me this year.
This is what I got:
Give up all of my time for what He wants me to do. Everything I or others think I should do or be doing throw it away. Daily in the morning I will sit with Him this whole year and see what He wants me to do even if I have something else planned that He gave me to do earlier. Be flexible and willing to change things up. If I think I should work on my blog—get rid of that expectation…throw it out—He wants me to paint and go for a walk instead. Housework needs to be done…throw it out and have a service day with Jalie allowing her to experience physical labor. Want to rest because you are tired? You should have listened to me and gone to bed earlier—time to do your whole blog and a video in just a few hours. Go when I tell you to go and stop when I tell you to stop. Slow down and soak up the beauty in my creations around you.
Woah, ok. That’s truly not what I expected. Time to throw out all expectations this year and let God blow us away with His beauty and strength in 2021. I have no idea what the days or weeks hold, but I’m excited about the journey. It takes off the pressure I put on myself for “should.” If you know my personality you know I love to be spontaneous and adventurous from time to time, but not knowing what the days hold will take a lot of faith in action. God has made the plan already and is leading me on His path blindfolded. It sounds like a year full of surprises and God-sized possibilities! It also sounds like it will be a year of taking TIME for the meaningful things of life and finding beauty in the small things I never took TIME to notice before.
This week started my surrendering of time and I can tell you He has already blown me away. Doors are opening just by me surrendering my time and expectations to His. I’m doing things I don’t have the strength for because He is with me carrying me through.
His plan for me this week included things I would have never thought of. As I looked at the patterns of my list and schedule He gave me each day this week, I realized it included slowing down to see His beauty around me daily. It included fun and creativity. It included serving others and more time with my family. And on top of that, I still got a lot of work done. I couldn’t have done that if I wouldn’t have thrown out what I thought I “should” do.
When we do our work in our own expectations and TIME or what we think we should do, we miss out on what God wants to do. God has big things He wants to do in our lives but we don’t make room in our hearts and schedules for what He wants to do. If we don’t let go of our expectations and sit with Him daily surrendering our time to His, we can’t invite in what He wants to do.
So my challenge to you is to sit with God surrendering your TIME to Him this year. What expectations can you let go of so that you can make room in your heart and life for what God wants to do? We can accomplish more for His glory with His strength and TIMING than if we were to strive to do it on our own.
“Commit your activities to the LORD, and your plans will be established.” Proverbs 16:3 CSB