Halfway through college, I saw a picture of myself that I didn’t recognize. I wasn’t as thin as I had been my whole life, and I didn’t realize it until seeing that unfamiliar, grainy image of myself. So that January, I resolved to do everything I could to lose the weight I’d put on, and fast.
My plan was to eat as little as possible and work out no matter what; it didn’t matter if I was swamped with schoolwork or sick in bed.
Fast forward and imagine where that took me. I was not in a good place physically, emotionally, or spiritually.
Wanting to change isn’t bad, but how we go about it can be.
My biggest mistake in setting that New Year’s Resolution that year was not asking God to help me change. Taking Him out of the picture and relying on my own efforts put ME on the throne of my life instead of Him. My thoughts revolved around what I could do to bebetter, not on how I could depend on Him to transform me. I didn’t ask God to change my heart or help me see what was truly behind the weight gain. I was concerned only with my outward appearance, which isn’t the heart of God.
In Philippians 1:6, Paul writes, “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Remember how I said I didn’t ask God to help me change? I started the work in me, not God. He wasn’t the one leading me to lose weight, and He certainly wasn’t the one telling me not to take care of my body. My resolution was no more than behavior modification at its finest; it was NOT a “good work” that Philippians 1:6 refers to.
“being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
Paul, Philippians 1:6
There’s good news in this verse though – when God initiates change in us, it IS good. And what God initiates, He sustains. It says right there that God is the One who “[carries] it on to completion” till Jesus comes back.
What God initiates, He sustains.
How does it feel knowing that the Creator of the Universe works in you to make you more like Him? How does it feel to believe He’lll never give up on you? I don’t know about you, but the thought that God cares about doing new things in my heart and life fills me with awe. He cares. About. Me. Period.
I can stop striving. I can let Him lead me. I can be at peace. I am FREE to rest in His grace and love.
So if you made a New Year’s Resolution this year, do 2 things for me: first, check in with God about it. Ask Him: Who started this work in me? You or me? Second, process it with someone you trust. Find a mentor, a friend from your small group, an older sibling, your mom… Find someone you know is walking with the Lord and ask them to pray alongside you. I promise, you’ll appreciate their wisdom and encouragement along the way.
Let’s keep journeying into more and more freedom together!
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