What if you’re like me and you don’t have a set of carefully thought out goals for the New Year? What if you’re staring at that blank journal page at a loss for what to write, because you realize that it is actually God who writes all our stories? What if you’re just realizing that we make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps? We know the verse, but when you realize you’re experiencing that truth as reality it’s a different thing. What if you’re looking at the dawn of the New Year with cautious hope that it will contain a generous measure of refreshment and afford you just a moment to really catch your breath… a real beginning? We were made to love new beginnings weren’t we?

What if there is nothing grand about your resolve for the coming year? What if the resolve was to simply know Jesus more and experience His goodness, tasting of Him with your very own life, drawing near to Him and warming a, perhaps, wearied heart with His presence? Truth is I have no other resolve than that. And this is not to downplay your own hand written or typed out aspirations; those notes containing your hopes, those are beautiful things. I’m just saying, try as I might the discipline my mind keeps coming back to is the simplistic one of knowing Him. Is that still inspiring to us?

Just Jesus. 

Fit bodies, grand meal planning, the best interior decorating endeavors, even memorizing Scripture, praying more throughout the year… whatever our collective aspirations may be… everything I could preoccupy my mind with can only be properly fulfilled in Him.

There’s no goal that’s not going to morph into a gross idol without Him and whether the idols name is legalism or laziness matters not.

So King Jesus be my resolve in this New Year. May all its joys and pains, and every single good and hard beautiful thing turn completely into my offering to you. Living sacrifices. That’s what we must become.

{Abraham at the altar, Joseph betrayed by brothers, Moses disdained by multitudes, Joshua & Caleb’s faith rejected, David betrayed by close friends, Jeremiah’s tears, Stephen under stones, Esther in the court of Kings, Ruth in a foreign land, Hannah weeping over an altar, Mary giving her name and reputation to God, life IN our God, whatever it may hold.} This is the one thing I ask and that I will seek that I may behold Christ’s eternal beauty and think on Him in the midst of the congregation and every sweet moment in between.

You could join me… That’s the invitation on Smiles of Grace this year. There’s so much more to come.