Earlier this week I posted about New Year resolutions and how to take control of your life by tracking progress and not just the number on the scale. Today I want to share with you my BIGGEST New Years Goal.
Last Fall, I privately told God that if He would call me to another 12 months of ministry in Miami I would obey because I would know He was in the endeavor. In my own strength I would not be able to stay and without His will for me to be there I would flounder. Even though I loved doing ministry in Miami, I knew that where I was planted was not leading me in the direction God had created me to flourish.
I am thankful for the lessons I learned last year and for the special people I shared my life with. With this in mind I know He had called me to it, He had pulled me through it and when the time to move on approached He removed every obstacle from my decision to leave when the opportunity came.
I am thankful for that time and I am beginning to see the glimmer of purpose from that hard year. I believe in the coming months I will find even more clarity and purpose from it. At the end of that season in my life, I learned that I could stay the course. I passed the test with flying colors and I am confident that God will never call me through this season again. Just like in the story of Noah and the Ark: there was a flood and now God has given me a hope and a promise.
Once I left Miami, the Holy Spirit placed in me a kindling desire to learn how to honor like Jesus in any situation. To give just as much honor and love to those who deserve it as to those whose actions disappoint me. It is my New Years goal to walk this out beginning with those closest to me. Often when we come across a painful situation or person we harbour resentment for weeks until it comes out as a big argument or we walk away jaded assuming that no one is to be trusted.
We forget that sometimes people hurt us because they have some growing of their own to do. It is not a reflection of some dark matter or moral corruption. They are people who need growth just like the rest of us. These situations are spiritual easy battle’s that we must conquer before we can be like Christ to people who truly do not like us. If you are familiar with the slopes, it is like comparing the bunny slope to the double black diamond. You have to practice on the hills before you can tackle the mountain.
Billy Graham once said that it is “The Holy Spirit’s job to convict, God’s job to judge and my job to love.” You can not be held accountable for the actions of others but you are completely responsible for how you conduct yourself. Remember: Honor is not an outcome based on the merit of another person-it is the result of how honorable you are.
This year I encourage you to make both healthy goals and purposeful resolutions. Allow God to reveal areas in your life that need some attention and reflect on the lessons you learned in 2014. Life is meant for growth and development: Make sure to live it with purpose.
In Health,
Michelle
Motivated 4 Life 