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New Faith
In The New Year
By Angela Morris
"I can do all things
through Christ which strengtheneth me." – Philippians 4:13
The New Year always brings with it an opportunity to start fresh; to do away with our old, unwanted habits and to begin better, healthier ones. But how many of our New Year's resolutions are ever realized? So many of our good intentions are abandoned by spring! I believe the key to keeping our resolutions isn't, ironically, resolve -- but faith.
What could faith possibly have to do with a goal toward self-improvement? Faith encourages us to see ourselves through God's eyes, and to align our desires with the Lord's. Once that happens, we can believe with a certainty that God will give us the desires of our heart because our goals are now aligned with His.
I remember the year I decided to begin reading my Bible and praying on a daily basis. It was very early on in my salvation, and I had just come to understand how important it was to stay in connection with the Lord. I did not know how I would be able to achieve this goal, as I already had a packed day. But I knew I needed to find time for God in my life.
I didn't come up with an elaborate plan to create more hours in the day, and I didn't give up anything else I had to do each day. You know what I did? I relied on the Lord to show me the space in my day for Him. If I woke up in the morning, and a scripture was on my heart, I looked it up right then and there. If I finished getting ready for the morning and I had a few extra minutes, I got down on my knees and prayed. If it was evening, and all was quiet in the home, I went to a quiet place and studied the Word. I believed wholeheartedly that if this was God's will for my life -- even if I couldn't see how it would be possible -- He would make a way for it to come to pass. And He did!
When we open ourselves to faith, we open our lives to the movement of God. We allow Him to actually be God, and perform the miracles that we praise Him for every Sunday. Each time that God comes through for us, we in turn believe in Him all the more. That increase in faith is what brings us closer to Him.
So when you are thinking about your New Year's resolutions this year, ask yourself: What do I have the faith to achieve? The beginning of all of our endeavors as Christians should be our faith in God's ability to help us succeed, in spite of what the challenges may be. As we think about the changes we want to make in our lives this New Year, and as we consider the people that we want to become, let us keep in mind that through Christ we can do all things. Let us believe in Him, the same way that He believes in us!
Angela Morris is a long-standing member of Christian Unity Baptist Church, and a True Believer!--
The New Year always brings with it an opportunity to start fresh; to do away with our old, unwanted habits and to begin better, healthier ones. But how many of our New Year's resolutions are ever realized? So many of our good intentions are abandoned by spring! I believe the key to keeping our resolutions isn't, ironically, resolve -- but faith.
What could faith possibly have to do with a goal toward self-improvement? Faith encourages us to see ourselves through God's eyes, and to align our desires with the Lord's. Once that happens, we can believe with a certainty that God will give us the desires of our heart because our goals are now aligned with His.
I remember the year I decided to begin reading my Bible and praying on a daily basis. It was very early on in my salvation, and I had just come to understand how important it was to stay in connection with the Lord. I did not know how I would be able to achieve this goal, as I already had a packed day. But I knew I needed to find time for God in my life.
I didn't come up with an elaborate plan to create more hours in the day, and I didn't give up anything else I had to do each day. You know what I did? I relied on the Lord to show me the space in my day for Him. If I woke up in the morning, and a scripture was on my heart, I looked it up right then and there. If I finished getting ready for the morning and I had a few extra minutes, I got down on my knees and prayed. If it was evening, and all was quiet in the home, I went to a quiet place and studied the Word. I believed wholeheartedly that if this was God's will for my life -- even if I couldn't see how it would be possible -- He would make a way for it to come to pass. And He did!
When we open ourselves to faith, we open our lives to the movement of God. We allow Him to actually be God, and perform the miracles that we praise Him for every Sunday. Each time that God comes through for us, we in turn believe in Him all the more. That increase in faith is what brings us closer to Him.
So when you are thinking about your New Year's resolutions this year, ask yourself: What do I have the faith to achieve? The beginning of all of our endeavors as Christians should be our faith in God's ability to help us succeed, in spite of what the challenges may be. As we think about the changes we want to make in our lives this New Year, and as we consider the people that we want to become, let us keep in mind that through Christ we can do all things. Let us believe in Him, the same way that He believes in us!
Angela Morris is a long-standing member of Christian Unity Baptist Church, and a True Believer!--
Photo by Rosalind Delvalle, RMD Photography http://www.rmdphotography.com/
