I learned something new recently. Did you know that the second Friday of January is referred to as “quitter’s day?” Most people who make New Year’s resolutions have thrown in the towel by the second week. I gave up on New Year’s resolutions a long time ago, but I felt discouraged on behalf of all of those quitters out there. I did a little digging on resolutions, and I found some interesting facts. The top three resolutions have to do with our physical appearance/health: exercise more, eat better, lose weight. Also, 59% of those making resolutions are young adults (18-34). I guess by the time you’re my age, you’ve quit so many times, you just jump ahead and quit making resolutions altogether. But the most interesting thing was the origin of resolutions. It was the Babylonians, 4,000 years ago, who were the first to make resolutions in connection with their barley festival in mid-March.
I immediately thought about the place of the Babylonians in biblical history, the most notorious enslavers of Israel, lasting roughly 70 years. Could the idea of resolutions, and the subsequent quitting, be akin to a form of slavery? I feel it is.
Resolutions are an attempt at me changing me, and I’m not saying that’s a bad thing. There is much good to be gained in cultivating habits of growth and change. But what kept coming to mind was the type of resolutions that are rooted in a displeasure with myself, i.e. the lose weight, become more organized, read more, get on a better schedule, save more money kind. And please hear me, I’m not saying never try to improve or change. What I am wondering though, is how much of this trying to change is rooted in forgetting who we actually are, forgetting what our Father has to say about us? How much trying to change myself is about not knowing what I’m really here for in the first place? How much has my mixing with the world caused me to forget that I am to be “in” it but not “of” it?
I have been reading a book by Aundi Kolber called “Try Softer”, and if all I ever did was hear the title that would be a blessing in itself. Softer is the way of Jesus, harder is the way of the pharisees. Jesus came in love and his love changed people, his love set them free from demons, disease, and sin. The pharisees took the law, meant to lovingly protect God’s people, and they added more to it. So much so that it had become an incredible burden. That sounds a lot like our culture; eat this, don’t eat that, do this kind of exercise, not do this kind, drink this much water, meditate this way, take a cold plunge, a hot shower, grow your own food, homeschool your kids, start a side hustle… Hello quitter’s day!
Jesus says, “Abide in me.” Get so close to me that you have no doubt what is most important. Listen to my still, soft voice and do the next right thing. Maybe that next right thing will be one of the top three resolutions on the list, but maybe not. One thing I know for sure, if our Savior is the one leading your attempt to change it will be gentle.
So as I processed all of this, my primary thought was, “how can I be an encourager, how can I keep from adding to the noise, how can I use the truth of the scripture like a healing balm?” What is the balm my own soul would like to receive right now? This is what I wrote: “Isn’t trying softer but continuing, better than trying harder and quitting?” I think the answer is yes. And I think the best way to do that is to go all the way back to the beginning, what am I here for? What is my purpose in the years that I have on this earth? The scripture is very clear about our purpose, but as is so often the case with our loving Father, it is also very clear about our identity within our purpose.
As you spend the next 28 days journaling your God-given purpose, look closely to also see who He says you are. My prayer is that the gentle voice of God the Father would guide you not only into the knowledge of your purpose, but also into a secure knowing of your created identity and infinite worth! No quitting allowed!
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