Broken Goals Already and Pressing on Intentionally

 

Just in case you hadn't noticed, I chose One Word as a goal for 2013. 

Other years I have made a list of resolutions seriously desiring to have a changed and transformed life in the power of Jesus Christ. 

This year, before I started reading post after post about choosing One Word for 365 days, I felt drawn to the word JOY. So, I scraped the list for this year and decided to stick to just this one word and the words like thanksgiving, thanksliving, and grace that are off-shoots of Joy.

Joy is what I want my life to emanate because Jesus is abiding and living through me. This is my challenge for this year. It is a real challenge!! It will take intentionality and commitment to God to work in my inner being to glorify Him through a joyful spirit. I am not there.

Three weeks have WHIZZED by since I sat down on New Year's Day to plan my goals for the year. I made a list, and made another list or two of things I intended on accomplishing for this year.

• I wrote out my Joy Dare and the changes I wanted to see in my life.
• Studying the Bible (looking for verses about Joy, and the study of Luke.
• I listed off plans I had for my blog such as a planning out posts in my 2013 Blog Planner, and linking up my archived posts using Inlinkz.
• Menu Planning on a weekly basis.

I suppose that goes farther than just One Word as you see other areas that I want to intentionally improve in my life. Life happens. 

I could write the most astoundingly beautiful post about how well I am doing in all these areas. I'm not good at lying. 

My Joy Dare has been challenged. I am always behind in listing and counting the things I am thankful for. When I do, it makes all the difference in my world and lifts me up to a higher plane in Jesus Christ. It isn't always easy to be joyful. Being thankful, which produces joy isn't dependent on circumstances. If we get a flat tire, it lifts our soul up to give thanks.

I am always finding myself behind in where I would like to be in my Bible study though I am faithful to start off each day in God's Word.

I keep intending to plan out even this month (let alone this year) in my printed off Blog Planner (hopefully today is the day??) but haven't found the time. As to my archives, that is still not done. 

Then, I faithfully made out a menu and grocery list for one week, and didn't plan another. I grocery shopped yesterday without a list. NOT my favorite thing to do!!

Here are three things I have learned from my failures:

1. My Hope is Built on Jesus Christ

As I have seen the past three weeks, everything I have set myself out to do has fallen short of my desired goals. Without relying on Jesus for the results it won't be worth having 'good' results at all!! As the song says, "My Hope is Built on Jesus Christ."

1. My Joy is found in Jesus Christ

Different circumstances during the past three weeks has left me feeling less than joyful unless I remembered to look up into the face of Jesus Christ. It doesn't matter if I sit down every few days to think deeply about things I am thankful for because it is changing my outlook on my life. I can be riding in the car and see the beauty of the sparkling snow and my heart starts thinking thankful thoughts of joy because God gave me this day. My joy is found in Jesus Christ.

1. Not reaching my desired accomplishments is not the 'pits'

Intentionally sitting down and choosing some goals is better than not reaching for the stars at all!! Failure to plan is failure because you don't ever get out of the pit. I have accomplished something because I took the effort to make a plan in the first place. If I don't give God the glory, what good is it to be successful in anything in life. I give God the glory in all that I say, write, and do this year. How about you??

I am very sure that most of us have already failed in our New Year's goals. Whether we simplified to just One Word or made a list of goals, each of us has already failed. I am going to the cross with my failures this year and allow Jesus to soak my short-comings in His blood. I am praying that He will transform and change my life into His likeness this year. How about you?

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In Christ Alone,

~Judith~