I usually don't center my life around tons of new year resolutions, but this year I do have one that I plan to stick with. I've been thinking about this for a while, and I see it's something that will serve me well and be a source of daily encouragement. My new year's resolution is that I plan to find one or more things that has happened to me during the course of each current week and share that with someone in need of encouragement.
I have been noticing that when God gives me an opportunity to share or to encourage, I usually use examples of things that have happened to me many, many years ago as my sole source of why I chose Jesus to be Lord over my life. For some reason, I don't automatically identify things that are as recent as yesterday or last week as though God has stopped doing things for me. Is it that I don't think the things that God has done for me yesterday are not as powerful as some big faith test He got me through years ago? Is it that I am unconsciously labeling things that God has and continue to do for me as "little God things" vs. "big God things" when I'm sharing with others as if the little things will not have the same impact as the big things? This, of course, brings me to the fact that it's not my job to do God's job, right? When and if He gives me opportunities to share my faith or to be a source of encouragement to someone, all I'm responsible to do is to be led by the Holy Spirit and to trust that even if I haven't had a big faith test happen to me during the course of the current week it doesn't mean my weekly experiences with God, however little, are not just as powerful.
There's nothing wrong with using past memories as examples of things you want to use to help someone else know why God is AMAZING, and I'm sure I will use my past "go to" examples in the future if I believe the Holy Spirit is leading me to do so, but this year in 2016 these things will not be my "routine" if you know what I mean. I want my identification in Christ to be MORE than what has happened to me. I want my identification to also be what Christ is PRESENTLY doing for me. I want my testimony to be ever present.
So, there, you've heard it straight from the "horse's mouth" that Tracy has stated her new year's resolution to the whole world. I pray that whatever you are striving for in 2016 that you reach and surpass it. If you are reading this no matter what time of the day or where you live in this world, I want you to be happy. I want you to remove the restraints over your life that have been imposed by yourself or other people. If something is not working according to God's plan in your life, then you need to remove it. If something is working but not efficiently in your life, then you need to revamp it. I want you to know that this year has tremendous hope and possibility. I want you to know if I were standing right in front of you now, I would be saying to you that not only are you an amazing person, but God still has much for you to do. Happy New Year!!!!