You’ve resolved to make a resolution! That’s great! It may have taken some convincing to get you there, but you’ve decided to get unstuck and become unstoppable.

“You are never too old to set a new goal or to dream a new dream.” CS Lewis

Now, what to should your goal be? What is the most important resolution that you could make for the new year? Pushups? Drink more water? Wag more bark less? Or some seriously good goals like volunteering, quitting smoking or reading your Bible every day? What should take priority over every other resolution? Here are a couple of Proverbs from the Bible that shed a little light on that.

“In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.” Proverbs 16:9

“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.” Proverbs 19:21

These verses don’t mean that you shouldn’t make plans, but it does mean that the plans that you make are not a sure thing. The paths that the Lord lead you on, however, are a sure thing. Therefore, the best way for you to make sure that your plans are a sure thing is to make sure that they are on the paths that the Lord blesses. As that relates to your resolutions for the New Year, that means that the most important and surefire resolution that you can make is to follow the Lord.

Let’s be Real

Because you know as well as I do that we can’t make our own plans work out perfectly. Maybe right now a lot of your life is looking up up up and that’s great, enjoy that! Because as sure as death and taxes life will catch up with you like it did to me someday: you’ll be old and fat and balding that includes some of you ladies. So don’t make the mistake of thinking that that means that you should be a better planner or a good enough achiever to grasp a life that’s truly blessed. Only God is the giver of all good things.

“Every good and perfect gift comes from above.” James 1:17

Your brain ain’t smart enough, your muscles ain’t big enough, your looks ain’t cute enough, your playbook ain’t deep enough, your hustle ain’t smooth enough, your luck ain’t lucky enough to grasp a life that’s truly blessed by yourself.

By no means am I telling you to give up on your dreams, I’m telling you to dream bigger dreams! Ask God to give you his dreams and commit your every thought, word and deed to that dream and he’ll see it through and you will be blessed by being a part of it. Instead of asking God to bless what you’re a part of, become a part of what God is already blessing.

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Living the Dream

Let’s talk about me, I’m interesting. At 12 years old my dad asked me what I wanted to do and I told him that I wanted to be a pastor. I committed myself to it and God gave me that dream. It’s different than I thought it was going to be. There’s more drama, meetings and moving pianos than I would like, but I’m walking God’s paths. In my 20’s I told people that I wanted to plant a church in, what was at the time, the toughest neighborhood in America to plant a church and that was Rockwood in East Portland. I committed myself to it and God gave me that dream. It’s different than I thought it was going to be. There’s less openness to the gospel and more crazy stories about homeless friends than I would like, but I’m walking God’s paths.

Now I don’t even want to ask God for anything because I know that if it’s his dream, he’ll give it to me and it’ll be weirder than I thought. If I ask him for a Corvette he’ll give it to me, but I’ll have to figure out how to pay for the insurance! The point is that if we commit our lives to God and his ways, it will look different than we imagined, but it will mean purpose, joy, love and glory for us! It will surely come to pass because it’s of God. What is he inspiring you to do as you follow him?

What your Ideal Future Looks Like

If you want to see the picture of what your life will look like, something that helps you make sense of how to fit the pieces together, look at Jesus. Even though your life may be a puzzle to you, his life is on the front of the box. If you’re following him, your life will end up looking like his. Physical weakness, spiritual power. Humiliation and glorification. Your success will look like his, not the worlds. Your self-worth will look like his, not the worlds. Your strength will look like his, not the worlds. Choose to be committed to that and the pieces will make sense. If you hold too tightly to your picture of what your life will look like, when the pieces don’t fit, you’ll try, like we all did as kids, to mash them together, or rip off corners or leave pieces out.

• May you embark on the greatest adventure this year: a life lived in the presence and pattern of Jesus Christ
• May you remain resolved even when the road is dark and the way is treacherous
• May you go from unmoving to unstuck to unstoppable

Oh, and drinking more water probably wouldn’t hurt.

“Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.” Proverbs 16:3