If you are a firm believer in written goals and following a to-do list, then a good planner will most definitely be your best friend, only because (now and again) you'll be required to reflect on and track your set goals. The truth is, no matter how grandiloquent it may seem to have your life organized within a certain structure, it can also be terrifying to look back at the year past and see all the unticked goals and all the unaccomplished wishes for and promises you've made to yourself.
I have found out, in my own life, that it's easy to wallow in condemnation, especially seeing the promises we have made that we couldn't carry out. The truth is, somehow, that human nature seems to always default to falling short of the resolves that we've made. Nevertheless, we should never allow condemnation to diminish our worth and faith in Christ. I must admit that there have been so many days where I would feel terrible looking at the things that I had to carry over on my calendar, just because I couldn't meet the expectations as planned. There were instances where I would instantly feel fear and anxiety trying to choke the life out of me. That's when I had to make a lifetime resolve, that some things in one's life shouldn’t be a tick away, but they should be the pillars that make us who we are and the resolutions we should adhere to for the rest of our lives. And when we can approach life in that manner, we will never feel condemned for the little things we have missed along the way because we will know that our resolutions are not event-based but are structured in such a way that they become living pillars of who we are.
Although we have to make resolves concerning the direction of our lives, our health, finances, career, relationships, marriage, etc. nothing that we pen down will happen by default; we still have to bear fruit of what we are believing for and working toward. The truth is that we need to put action to what we are believing God for. In all that we are praying for, what will really fuel us into flame is when we add correlating actions to our faith, just like the scripture enunciates that faith without works is dead (James 2:17).
The Mirriam Webster dictionary defines the word resolve as to deal with successfully; clear up, to find an answer to; to make clear or understandable; to find a mathematical solution of; or to reach a firm decision about. No matter what part of the definition resonates with you, you still need to understand that resolving to achieve a goal in any area of your life will require correlating action that backs your every decision, or else the plan will fall flat. While meditating on this topic, I was led to search for the Biblical term of this word, in order to extract a deeper meaning of it. According to the Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, the word resolve means to determine or decide in purpose; to make ready in mind; to fix; to settle; The word itself is derived from the Greek word, epilambanomai, which is to lay hold of something, or the seizing. The more revelation we can peel off from the layers of every definition, the more we will receive understanding, in order to make attainable lifetime resolutions. Having said that, it should also be understood that it will be impossible to set any plan in motion without being an active participant in it.
A casual read through the four Gospels gives us a hint into living a life that is designed through dedicated discipline and faith with action. All the disciples of Jesus were men and women who adhered to His precepts and commandments, all written down in the scroll to follow and to uphold, without which some missed the mark. The word “disciple” is a term that teaches us that the people who were following Christ made a lifetime resolution to dedicate themselves to discipline, governed by the teachings of Christ, and through their obedience, their lives were marked by breakthroughs, wisdom, and purpose.
When we can learn to live as disciples of Christ in this 21st century, we can see our lives transform in such a way that God will be glorified in all that we do. The Word of the Lord declares that we are ambassadors and representatives of the kingdom of God, so we need to dedicate our lives to fulfilling the plan God set for us. When you are dedicated to achieving a certain goal or plan, you’ll do everything you can to pursue and fulfill the mandate, no matter the cost.
Following through with the plan of God shouldn't be burdensome but, rather, something we do out of a love relationship with Him. When this truth is established in our lives that we are the disciples of Christ, upholding lifetime resolutions, then we will know that our resolutions are not pen-based or calendar-based but are inscribed in our hearts and we are then committed to living them out. The resolution that is lifetime-based is not one we make every time we prepare for a new year or a new season of our life and then relapse in the middle of the year and pick up the graph again at the end of the year; this shows a cycle of defeat. Rather, it is that which we position ourselves to accomplish for the rest of our lives. We need to be determined to always accomplish the assignment that God carved for us and let what we have written down as a guideline, become a priority, not something we do occasionally.
Apostle Paul said in the book of Philippians, chapter 3 and verses 13-14, that his main goal in life was to lay hold of the mark of the high calling. This should be our revelation, that we should position ourselves, spirit, soul, and body, to glorify God in all areas of our lives. May the Lord who is full of compassion strengthen us to fulfill all that we have written down in our plans and in our vision. I pray that all that we aspire to do should be to glorify God, so that in the end we will all hear, “Well done, my good and faithful servant!”
BLESSINGS
MPHO
