I have tried to do New Year's resolutions before and I fail at them, no matter how motivated I am.
I read recently that resolutions tend to focus on the negative (things I wish I didn't do, bad habits I want to break) instead of on the positive (things I want to see grow in me, what I want God to do in my heart.) So instead of resolutions, I have chosen one word to focus on.
"My one word" for this year is PERSPECTIVE.
I read Ann Voskamp's Advent devotional, "The Greatest Gift," for Christmas last month. (If you are looking for something to read for Advent next year, this is a wonderful choice.) This reading, and a revisiting of Ann's book, "One Thousand Gifts," has me thinking about my attitude.
In "The Greatest Gift," Ann Voskamp writes:
Perspective, of course, is our point of view. But I like one of the ways Merriam-Webster.com defines it: the interrelation in which a subject or its parts are mentally viewed.
Doesn't that sum it up? Our point of view comes from our mind. How we think about something determines how we see it, what our "reality" is. And then follows all the misunderstandings and arguments and hard feelings, etc, because we don't stop to think that everyone has their own perspective.
Even God.
Isaiah 55:8-9 (NASB) says:
I can't begin to say how very glad I am that God does not think like I do. We'd all be in trouble, if He ran things my way!
But I do want to learn to have God's perspective, to mentally picture what He wants me to see. I want to capture my thoughts before they run wild, urging me to do things my way instead of God's way.
Because I've been there before and it is joy-draining, whether the result is something negative or positive.
A little end note: I wrote this when I got up this morning. And then my children got up...(cue the drama). It was interesting how many times today I was aware of the different perspectives in our home, and how they contributed to the fussing between my children. I am excited, and a little nervous (being honest here), about what God is going to do this year as He helps me to change the way I look at everything.
I read recently that resolutions tend to focus on the negative (things I wish I didn't do, bad habits I want to break) instead of on the positive (things I want to see grow in me, what I want God to do in my heart.) So instead of resolutions, I have chosen one word to focus on.
"My one word" for this year is PERSPECTIVE.
I read Ann Voskamp's Advent devotional, "The Greatest Gift," for Christmas last month. (If you are looking for something to read for Advent next year, this is a wonderful choice.) This reading, and a revisiting of Ann's book, "One Thousand Gifts," has me thinking about my attitude.
In "The Greatest Gift," Ann Voskamp writes:
"Joy is a function of gratitude, and gratitude is a function of perspective. You only begin to change your life when you begin to change the way you see (page 125)."
Perspective, of course, is our point of view. But I like one of the ways Merriam-Webster.com defines it: the interrelation in which a subject or its parts are mentally viewed.
Doesn't that sum it up? Our point of view comes from our mind. How we think about something determines how we see it, what our "reality" is. And then follows all the misunderstandings and arguments and hard feelings, etc, because we don't stop to think that everyone has their own perspective.
Even God.
Isaiah 55:8-9 (NASB) says:
"'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,' declares the LORD. 'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.'"
I can't begin to say how very glad I am that God does not think like I do. We'd all be in trouble, if He ran things my way!
But I do want to learn to have God's perspective, to mentally picture what He wants me to see. I want to capture my thoughts before they run wild, urging me to do things my way instead of God's way.
Because I've been there before and it is joy-draining, whether the result is something negative or positive.
A little end note: I wrote this when I got up this morning. And then my children got up...(cue the drama). It was interesting how many times today I was aware of the different perspectives in our home, and how they contributed to the fussing between my children. I am excited, and a little nervous (being honest here), about what God is going to do this year as He helps me to change the way I look at everything.
I'm excited to hear how this challenge of keeping perspective will end by the end of the year. I'm sure it will result in more peace, more laughter, more relaxing, and more joy. That is definitely something I struggle with as well! -Maria
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