MAKE your Mark

Many of us make New Year’s resolutions only to find ourselves failing before the end of January. It’s difficult because if we keep failing—we stop trying as to not renew feelings of disappointment in ourselves all over again.

There is a way to make our mark every year—if we are patient and willing for God to change us from the inside out—it will happen. Let’s make our MARK this year:

M – Move forward in faith.
“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7)

Whatever goals or plans we make—they need to be in faith. This means our faith is built on God’s will and not our own. We trust in His word to lead us in the right direction and we trust in His Holy Spirit’s presence and assurance as well.

We have to be careful to not trust in our own efforts and strength. While we all have certain gifts, skills, and talents to get us where we need to go—our absolute and strongest reliance needs to be in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As we look to Him, we are encouraged even though we don’t always see with our eyes the changes we desire.

A – Accept that challenges and adversity will attempt to dissuade us.
“If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.” (Proverbs 24:10)
It would naïve of us to assume that Satan, the world, and our flesh will make this an easy journey. Satan will through everything he can at us in order to discourage our destiny and God’s plan for our lives. He knows that every single victory we have in Christ is another testimony of God’s goodness that can spark a seed of hope in the lives of those closest to us.

The world is pushing our culture to the cliff of self-destruction and perversity. We are in this world but not of it. If we listen and follow the desires of our flesh, we will experience death before our physical death. The flesh will silence our destiny in Christ to accomplish great things in His name. Only by following the Spirit of God can we know victory over the flesh.

R – Remember that God has a plan for us and it is good.
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

God has a plan for each of His followers—we aren’t drifting from circumstance to circumstance. The plan is for our good and not evil—it’s His will that we seek Him with all of our hearts and He will be found by us. His plan is based on our intimate relationship with Him through the meditation of His word and praying to Him.

We have a future and hope in God regardless of who’s in charge of our governments, whether the stock market is up or down, or whether the weather is great or terrible. Our hope is rooted in the foundation of truth that God is in control all the time everywhere and in every situation.

K – Keep it simple sweetie. (KISS)
“For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:30)

It’s very easy for us to make our goals so detailed and complicated at the same time that we can be easily discouraged when things don’t work out like we think. Our Father in heaven loves us so much that He makes His plan of salvation very simple: believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you are saved.

Our lives should be uncomplicated by sin so that we can move forward in the name of Christ towards our goals. Unconfessed and unrepentant sin doesn’t go away—it festers until it kills off our assurance, hope, and peace in God. Yet, it’s possible to be free if we want it—1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sin, he is faithful to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Prayer

Dear Lord, I want to do better this year than I did last year. I pray for Your wisdom, strength, and discernment to make goals that are aligned with Your will for my life. In Jesus’ name, amen.

In His Service,

Republished by Blog Post Promoter