Ready, Set, Glorify!

Beginning the new year off, I have naturally been sighting all of my flaws under a lab microscope to see what I need to get rid of.

Surprisingly, the list looks much the same as it did last year. Despressing me, and nearly overshadowing my hope of being the best human being on the earth this year. Then, I get hit over the head with this verse:

'Let your light so shine before men, 

that they may see your good works and glorify 

your Father in heaven.'

~Matthew 5:16 (NKJV)~

Wanting to be better and remake ourselves is a most familiar momentum. We live in it for the first few weeks of the new year (for those truly dedicated, until February!) before sputtering and struggling, and finally giving up on it. In a sense, that's a wise thing to do.

1) You can't become better, or wiser, or any of that alone; pushing for any radical change right out of the New Year's gate is a fool's errand.

2) It's never been about us or our accomplishments to begin with.

I'm going to let the verse fill in the blanks because I can't out do the gospels. We're not foolish for wanting to better ourselves, our relations, or our habits. But, we are foolish if we don't plan on getting the right help or having the proper goal in mind. For a Christian, that's to honor God, and to seek Him out.

So, whatever changes, goals, or milestones you're wanting to reach this year (heck, even in this decade), start it off the right way. WITH God and FOR God.

'Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, 

let us throw off EVERYTHING that hinders 

and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run 

with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes 

on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.'

~Hebrews 12:1-2 (NIV)~