Promises Broken, Promises Fulfilled: Thoughts for the New Year
Today, I had an unsurprising revelation: I cannot keep promises very well.
This blog is a testament to that. At the start of 2017, I tried to resolve to blog at least once a week for every month. And at the last 2 months of the year - I fizzled out. I got busy. I got lazy, and procrastinated. I reasoned - "nobody reads those things anyway, no one will care." I forgot my commitment and dropped out at the home stretch. THE LAST TWO MONTHS, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD. It's so frustrating that it's almost comical.
I'm not sure anything about my true nature has changed much. It's evident in the way I keep coming back to my old ways. I'm still stubborn, selfish, rebellious, and indolent. Just the other day, I spent some time reflecting on the past year and I couldn't help but notice that there were multiple times when I felt that the Lord was dealing heavily with me this year - all because of my old self.
And yet, in spite of the hardships - I can never look upon those incidents with regret or anger. Maybe there's a part of me that thinks that I probably deserve it but ultimately I understand that those moments, as painful and difficult as they were, were vital tools that God used in training me to trust and follow Him. Far be it from me to complain about His sovereign wisdom. Things might have not been clear at that time, but when I ponder on them in hindsight, I can only see how everything was working towards my sanctification.
It's probably true. Nothing about my nature has changed. At my core - and for as long as I live on this side of eternity - I am a sinful, rotten human being. And no matter how hard I work to clean up my act, I'll never measure up. But it is only because of Christ, I am given a new identity. When I fail at keeping my promises, He is faithful in maintaining His: that He takes my filthy rags and gives me His righteous robes. He hides my old nature in His love, and clothes me in a new one. It is because of His work and His grace that I am free to try again. To strive and keep my promises as best I could until one day I wouldn't need to make any more. Because by that Time - all my promises would see its fulfillment in Jesus.
This blog is a testament to that. At the start of 2017, I tried to resolve to blog at least once a week for every month. And at the last 2 months of the year - I fizzled out. I got busy. I got lazy, and procrastinated. I reasoned - "nobody reads those things anyway, no one will care." I forgot my commitment and dropped out at the home stretch. THE LAST TWO MONTHS, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD. It's so frustrating that it's almost comical.
I'm not sure anything about my true nature has changed much. It's evident in the way I keep coming back to my old ways. I'm still stubborn, selfish, rebellious, and indolent. Just the other day, I spent some time reflecting on the past year and I couldn't help but notice that there were multiple times when I felt that the Lord was dealing heavily with me this year - all because of my old self.
And yet, in spite of the hardships - I can never look upon those incidents with regret or anger. Maybe there's a part of me that thinks that I probably deserve it but ultimately I understand that those moments, as painful and difficult as they were, were vital tools that God used in training me to trust and follow Him. Far be it from me to complain about His sovereign wisdom. Things might have not been clear at that time, but when I ponder on them in hindsight, I can only see how everything was working towards my sanctification.
It's probably true. Nothing about my nature has changed. At my core - and for as long as I live on this side of eternity - I am a sinful, rotten human being. And no matter how hard I work to clean up my act, I'll never measure up. But it is only because of Christ, I am given a new identity. When I fail at keeping my promises, He is faithful in maintaining His: that He takes my filthy rags and gives me His righteous robes. He hides my old nature in His love, and clothes me in a new one. It is because of His work and His grace that I am free to try again. To strive and keep my promises as best I could until one day I wouldn't need to make any more. Because by that Time - all my promises would see its fulfillment in Jesus.
He is faithful in whatever circumstances that we've been through.
ReplyDeleteThank you for always inspiring through your blogs Ate. I am grateful to know someone amazing as you are. I hope to see you soon here in the Philippines <3
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