What You Need More Than a Resolution

When the days drew near for him…he set his face to go to Jerusalem. – Luke 9:51 ESV


photo: Raye Wortel

photo: Raye Wortel

 

How’s it going with your New Year’s resolutions? Are they still moving forward, or have your usual and familiar habits dragged you back to the same old routines?

 

This year, I left my resolutions behind for something better – something I believe is needed more.

 

Every year we make new plans to think, act, look, and love differently. But within a few weeks, our grand schemes become points of discouragement and frustration as we watch them fade into thin air for another year.

 

Resolutions are just “re-solutions” of our trouble spots in life. We keep “re-solutioning” the areas we want to change, but the truth is we don’t need new solutions or better plans.

 

What we need is resolve to start and finish what we already know needs to be done.

 

Whether it’s endurance to mend a broken relationship, courage to pursue a new opportunity, confidence to influence another’s life, or sheer grit to change our lifestyle, we already know what to do.

 

It’s fear that has us guessing and “re-solutioning” ourselves to the point of ineffectiveness.

 

Resolve is what we need. And I can’t think of a better example of resolve than when Jesus went to Jerusalem.

 

Luke 9:51 tells us Jesus “…set his face to go to Jerusalem.” To set one’s face is a Hebrew expression meaning firmness of purpose in spite of danger.

 

We’ve got to set OUR face as we head towards our Jerusalem. That uncertain place where we’re likely to find a mix of danger and grace, fear and committment, doubt and purpose, but in the end we can be sure we LIVED!

 

Resolve is what Jesus used to finish the work he was sent to do, shouldn’t we do the same?

 

Resolve is more than a mindset, it takes action to set our face towards our dreams. We’ve got to…

  • Respond to our doubts and fears, then decide to move forward anyway.
  • Expect and understand, setbacks and obstacles are part of the process.
  • Start. Start. Start. Remember Jesus set his face to go.
  • Own it. God handles the impact of our work on others. Let’s focus on how He changes us through it.
  • Lift up your work, and resolve, in steady prayer.
  • Vie for progress – not perfection.
  • Experience the gain of living life resolved!

 

My hope is for you to see 2014 as the year you set your face to go where you’re led – with intention and resolve!

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.