“… and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills -to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic crafts.” Exodus 35:31-33
We are two weeks into the New Year. How are our resolutions going? Are they gone? Personally I am not a resolution person. I am a person with a plan instead. Maybe you set out to lose weight, to quit smoking, to change jobs, or totally reinvent yourself. Whatever it was, you had every intention of accomplishing it.
Success may depend on the reasons why we want to accomplish something. In choosing our goal, did we weigh it against its higher purpose for our lives? Does it serve only us? Does it serve God? If it serves only us, we are doomed to fail. Hopefully and preferably it serves both God and us. If it does, there is great news. Success is highly achievable.
We live with ourselves. Think about that for a moment; we live with ourselves. If we are self-defeated by our attitude of self-criticism and pessimism, we must recreate ourselves in our own eyes. We are free to change; we are free to become the new person we want to be. Think about that for a moment also. We are free to become all that we want to be, all that we can be. The question is how?
In deciding who that person we want to become is, we must do a little research. Look at others. What qualities and characteristics do we see in others that we would like to have? What do we see in them that we don’t want? After all, no one is perfect, and we shouldn’t want to be somebody else, just a better version of ourselves. If we admire a certain attribute in someone, it is usually because we have that same tendency within ourselves. We just may not be fostering or nurturing it. Also, what do we recognize in others that we may need to eradicate from within ourselves? Write these answers down; own them. Make sure self-acceptance, self-confidence and joy are among the desirable traits! We need a good foundation.
Next, practice! Watch, learn, and try. Mistakes will be made, but that is how we will learn. We must not beat ourselves up when we make mistakes. We must move on, and try again. Perseverance is a great quality to have!
The best person we can watch and strive to be like is Jesus. Spend time watching Him. Look for those qualities we wrote down in Him. Do this by spending time in His Word. See Him in action and try to imitate Him in our own everyday activities and interactions with others. It may not come easily. Change is often difficult. However, with perseverance, soon we will become more like Him. Soon we will begin to see in ourselves those qualities and physical attributes we desire to attain. Soon we will succeed.
If your resolutions are stalled, or already gone, reignite them with a plan, a plan for success. Watch, learn, and try. Practice and pray for God’s help. Inflame those resolutions with the love of Jesus, and you cannot fail. Good luck, and God Bless.
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