Some years back in the boarding school, there were certain days Parents were allowed to come visit their children and they were all made to have a meeting before seeing their Children. Despite this set dates, there were some Parents who couldn’t wait to see their Children, because of the genuity of the love they had for their children and the inability to stay away from them for long. This made them roam the school looking for ways to see their children, ensuring they had enough food to sustain them till they’d officially visit again, that is, on the set date. The purpose of visiting day was for parents and their children to reunite, catch up on several events, parents would reassure their children of their ability to provide for their needs and the possibility of getting them whatever they wanted at the end of each school session, but, not without a condition. What condition? You ask. That they came out with good grades and be of their best behavior.
Now, that brings me to the purpose of this topic. Like many, resolutions are made on a set day in each year, that is, on the 31st day of December. This day is when a lot make resolutions with the intentions of keeping them, they are in church to start the new year with Jesus……..I know that heaven records the highest number of visitors each December 31st night. How sad? Sad because a lot have refused to be like those parents who would lurk around the school looking for ways to see their Children, to appreciate them, to let them know that they truly love and care for them, to show their unconditional love, to share in their children’s needs. Instead, they’ve chosen to be like those parents who would visit only on a set date to profess their undying love and let their children know their expectations at the end of school session, living their children with no option but the run their own lives in careless ways? Why? Because they’ve spent little time with their children saying so much that their children can hardly assimilate what their parents expect of them in order to produce the desired results, unlike the parents who spend time with their Children outside the set day for visiting, they spend more time, with few words making their children realize they genuinely love them (for moving out of their comfort zones to visit them outside the set dates), by doing so, their children in turn understand their parents’ expectations and seek to engage in acts that will yield expected results.
2010 came with its ugly stories, failures, inability to keep to resolutions made to become a better person, disappointments that came with God not fulfilling the promises He made at that 31st night service, etc. You seem to be walking the same route you walked last year, making your new year resolution and going to church on December 31st night to hear what plans God has for 2011 (not paying attention to the conditions attached to the promises), and you sit through service with great expectations for 2011, pouring out all your requests and all the “I would have done this last year” stories, etc. God is not looking for those who would visit on a particular day; He’s looking for those people who lurk around heaven in sincerity, who spend their time with Him with little words, who do His bidding outside their comfort zone, those who would say a lot with their actions and so little with their mouths. Those are the people He seeks in 2011 to mightily bless; those are the people He has made this year’s promises to, those are the people He has selected to reveal Himself this year, fulfilling their expectations.
The question now is, are you one of those who make resolutions and visit on the set day, afterwards your foot prints in heaven are covered up by those who visit regularly? Or are you one of those who pay the price to serve God out of your comfort zone, spending more time in His presence and saying very few words knowing that He’ll meet all your needs? Deep within you is where your answer lies. What were those things that took you out of his presence in 2010, what were those things that stopped you from fellowshipping with the brethren (Hebrews 10:25)? Your job and its enticing offer (Hebrews 13:5)? You followed after your flesh (Romans 3:12-18)? Etc. If you must see changes in 2011, or move further than you already have, you must make conscious effort to fight your way through by the help of Jesus Christ (John 15:5), you cannot win when you fight alone, you cannot go past your present stage in life if you think you can do it alone, you cannot overcome those habits that take you out of His presence, those barriers (your job, your friends, your family, your business, school, etc) that make it difficult to keep your new year resolutions cannot be broken if you do not invite Jesus who’s knocking at your door to come in and take off your load so he can walk with you and direct you on the path to follow. How do you invite Jesus into your life? In your words and in your heart (Romans 10:9&10), begin your walk into 2011 by activating your lips and heart.
Say this prayer if you truly mean it.
Lord Jesus, I acknowledge that I am a weak. I surrender all that I am to you this day, I acknowledge you as my Lord and savior, by whose blood I’ve been set free. I invite you into my life today, take me as I am and help me genuinely love you. Help me to walk this walk, Amen!
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