It's January. Time to take account of what last year was like and how we want this new year to be for us. So how was 2018? How do we measure its success? New job? New relationship? More new tech, new adventure, new _____________ (fill in the blank), and so on and so on. It's safe to say that for each person there is a unique measurement or definition for what success means to them. As we grow the types of success we desire changes too.
Remember being a child and wanting the "must have" toy? or "must wear" fashion? For me it was the Atari 2600 Pac-Man game cartridge. Christmas 1982 had to be the Pac-Man home game! I remember going with my dad to Sears and standing in line to buy a copy. They handed us the game cartridge in a brown paper bag and asked us not to let others know what it was. I was so excited! And after opening it for Christmas and playing it in my parent's basement with my friends, I felt so cool. No more arcade quarter eating machines for me, I can play at home for free! Granted, the graphics, sound, and experience wasn't quite like the arcade version, but I had kids wanting to come to my house and play Pac-Man!
I no longer have that Atari 2600 (wish I did), and no longer play Pac-Man in 8-bit glory, but there are still things we still wish and hope for in life. Maybe it's a new career, a spouse, a reliable car, or something as simple as a good friend. Whatever we want or desire, God has a plan for us to see those desires come true. Psalm 20:4 tells us that God wants to "give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed." This is great! But unlike a certain roly-poly red suited man in our chimney last month, God does not just give us stuff because we are "on the good list". He wants us to follow Him and walk in accordance to his will, then he will see that "all our plans succeed" (second part of Psalm 20:4).
"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us." (1 John 5:14) God will honor his will. He is dedicated to seeing his plans come true. So we should start pursuing his desires and plans. After all, you know they are good (Jeremiah 29:11). He even gives us a formula for how to find his will - Romans 12:2 "be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."
So how was last year? Specifically, how was your commitment to seeking God's will and following his plans? As we begin 2019 and want to takes things to the next step, let's commit to submitting more to God and focusing less on ourselves. Spending more time reading His Word, talking with him through prayer finding out what He wants, and less time just doing our own thing and asking God to bless it after we are already doing it. Next steps in 2019 will be best spent walking with God. We can have desires and plans, but it is God's role to establish our steps (Proverbs 16:9). Happy New Year, may all your desires be fulfilled and plans succeed!
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