making it His year
Last year was one of micromanaging my life. I tried to tell God what I wanted and expected Him to show up in the absolute, perfect way that fit my ideas.
By the end of the year, I was exhausted.
Did He show grace? Yes. Did He bless me? Yes. Was He good and sovereign? Absolutely.
But I was so caught up in my ways, life, and ideas that I missed so many moments of joy and beauty. I missed the fantastic moments He showed up for me in my daily life and how He was molding me, preparing me, and working things for my good. I was too distracted by what I wanted and when I would get it.
At the end of December 2024, I reflected on the year, my life in general, and my ‘gimme gimme’ attitude before God, and I was humbled…and embarrassed. I decided the last 6 months of the year were months of learning, growing, trial and error, and character-building. I owned it.
By the beginning of 2025, the mental and emotional strain was heavy, and I knew I had to do things differently.
Here are three things I am doing this year to make it HIS year:
Use my goals as an offering to God.
Instead of demanding what I want and need this year, and expecting God to make it happen my way, I am making goals and offering them to Him as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1) for Him. I am giving my goals to Jesus and watching Him use them for His glory.
I am expecting change…and I am okay with it.
Change is tough for me. I always thought I was easy-going, but I like structure and familiarity. God uses changes to humble us and help us grow. As change comes this year, I will learn from it, use it to learn, and place my trust in Jesus (Proverbs 3:5).
Understand it’s bigger than me.
Yes, we are unique. We are divine. We are beloved, created images of God, but we are not the center of the universe. God might be using us in ways we don’t see or understand. When we devote and surrender our lives to God, we need to realize that the kingdom is massive and we are not the only ones in it. God uses us in ways that might not have anything to do with OUR plans, goals, or dreams. We could be an answer to a prayer for someone else; He might be showing us gifts we didn’t know we had, and He could be using our experiences to mold and shape us into who He wants us to be. It might not be about us. (Isaiah 55:9)
As we step into the end of January. My biggest prayer is that we can surrender the year to God and make it His year. We can fully surrender to God to use us in whatever way it best for His kingdom and His glory. Yes, and amen.
Have a beautiful Sunday.
Laura
