The God-Centered Plan

Acts 20:32, “Now I am putting you in the care of God and the message about his grace. It is able to give you strength, and it will give you the blessings God has for all his holy people.”

Okay, we have spent the last couple of weeks talking about the new year and making or breaking resolutions that always seem to come when the new year rolls around. Like I said before, I wish all who make resolutions well on their journey, and I hope everyone is having a good start to 2026.

     As we round out the third week of this new year, I would like to share a few more thoughts on beginning of year and the commitments we make and break all within those first few weeks, if not days. It's actually interesting that this is a struggle not only for our times or this last century. Struggling to keep to a ‘resolution’ our commitment goes back to those who lived in Bible times. This is what the Lord inspired James to write, “Listen carefully. Some may say, ‘tomorrow we will go to some city. We will stay there a year, do business, and make money.’ But you don't know what will happen tomorrow! Your life is like a mist. You can see it for a short time, but then it goes away. So you should say, ‘if the Lord wants, we will live and do this or that.’” -James 4:13-15.

     Let me be very clear. There's nothing wrong with setting a resolve to improve your life. If you want to lose weight, get more organized, exercise more, eat healthier, manage your finances better, or anything you feel could improve, go for it. I'm just stating that it isn't easy sticking to them, the struggle has been the same for generations, and discouragement sets in when we feel we've failed yet again. But there is hope. Let's look at the last part of those verses, ‘if the Lord wills it, we will be successful’.

     Our plans may or may not be in God's plan. Yet, if we want success in all we do, we must seek God's will. It is by God's strength we can accomplish any resolution we set out to do. Remember, when He convicts, he equips and we can follow through with our plans. That is if we know we are following God's plan for our lives. It is then God can give us the strength to stick to it beyond January.

     I have a question though. Why is it that most resolutions revolve around weight, exercise, or finance? Do you think the Lord would be honored if we made and stuck to spiritual resolutions? Read the Bible, deepen your prayer walk, get involved in your church, share your faith with friends, step out in faith. Resolve to represent the Lord no matter the cost- Habakkuk 13:15-16.

     All those resolutions made can definitely improve oneself in life and are good to do. Yet, adding spiritual resolutions can draw you closer to the Savior, strengthen your life in many ways, and bring praise and honor to the Lord. Adding spiritual resolutions will help finish the work Jesus began so many years ago. Why stick to better resolutions when you can have the best resolutions. As you set out your path for 2026, here are a few resolutions you could consider adding to your list. Ones that can be easy to stick to.

-        Pray about it- Psalm 51:10-11, “Create in me a pure heart, God, and make my spirit right again. Do not send me away from you or take your Holy Spirit away from me.”

     This is a short, simple prayer, David prayed. Over the next year as you seek God's presence make this your prayer too.

-        Give your time and attitude to the Lord- Colossians 3:14-15, “Even more than all this, clothe yourself in love. Love is what holds you all together in perfect unity. Let the peace that Christ gives control your thinking, because you were all called together in one body to have peace. Always be thankful.”

     Make this your passage and live it daily. Commit to making a difference at home, at work, on the road, at the store, even at church. Give your attitude to the Lord.

-        Don't do it alone- Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

     So often we feel we have to forge our path alone and feel it's completely up to ourselves to live our life with improvements, our spiritual life, and so forth. Yet, when we are ‘in Christ’, we are not alone, we are part of the team, with other Christians walking the same way we are.

     Thomas Fuller stated, “Seek Him and His wonderful plan for your life. The two of you will make a great team-- united in your determination to fulfill your destiny. A strong will, a settled purpose, an invincible determination can accomplish almost anything.”

     What empowering statement, ‘the two of you make a great team!’ And this follows right along with God's word, ‘where two or three are gathered’. Don't do it alone because you're not alone.

     As you go through this year make God your partner. Talk to Him about your goals and let Him give you wisdom and guidance to know if your plans align and the best way to accomplish them. This in itself will give you peace of mind. From there consider and study these verses knowing God can help you accomplish anything

-        Live, learn, and teach with intelligence- 2 Timothy 2:23-24

-        Pray for guidance- James 1:5

-        Forgive those who have hurt you- Colossians 3:13

-        Take care of yourself- 1 Corinthians 19:20

-        Love others- Mark 12:30-31

-        Be a role model- Titus 2:7

-        Don't be discouraged by failures- Joshua 1:9

-        Value your friendships- Ecclesiastes 4:9-11

-        Help those in need- Matthew 25:34-40

     Life is not going to be easy, we've all been there. It is hard to follow through commitments with all our everyday affairs going on. Above all that, the devil is constantly on the attack every turn we make. Knowing this should only fuel our resolve to cling tighter to our Savior, allowing Him to lead us daily, and give us the strength we need to move forward in 2026 resolutions and all. May the Lord be with you daily and all you do, and may this year be an awesome year for you and your family!

To extend your devotions today, take some time to look up the verses listed and study them deeper.

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog and if you'd like take a few more minutes to look around or click on my other links, God bless.

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