Episode 008: Radiant Resolve
Ready or not, 2024 is here.
Are you one of those planner people? As in you already sat down and made goals for 2024 and you’ve even checked a few off? I know I should be creating my lists, finding “my word”, and starting to develop a plan for 2024. However, the bag of things to donate in 2023 still sits by my back door. My bathroom drawers still need to be cleaned, I’m certain at least one of those mascara tubes can be pitched. Four books remain in my “to read this year” pile, this year being 2023 not 2024. I still have 2023 boxes to check off, but I’m out of time.
I’ll admit, I had a moment where my breathing became a little quick and shallow. I made myself drink a full glass of water and took a short ten-minute walk while talking with God. I pray frequently when I walk, but I tend to be an expressive communicator. I’m not sure what my neighbors think, I guess it’s a good thing most of them are friends and family. But here I am, taking a walk, waving my arms, and telling God how I’m not ready for another year.
One of the reasons I like walking is as my heartbeat quickens, the internal narrative in my head slows down. After a while, I’m able to be quiet and listen. And in the quiet God reminded me, Because of His love I will be okay, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is His faithfulness (Lamentations 3:23-24).
I whispered back, Lord, I’m thankful everything will be ok. But I also want to be productive and I want to know I’m fulfilling your purpose and your plans. I want to be a good steward of my body, my soul, my time, and my resources. Lord, help me to grow as a mother, a daughter, and a friend. Let me lead well and follow when I need to.
Can you relate? Do you believe God’s got it all under control, but also realize time is still slipping through your fingers like grains of sand? What would it look like to feel accomplished at the end of the year instead of feeling like you failed?
Creating goals, making lists, finding a word all those New Year’s resolutions are good things. Last year, my goal sheet recorded I would cut out unnecessary sugar except for special occasions. At the end of our 21-day fast, the first thing I did was add a healthy serving of toffee nut latte creamer to my coffee. I did it the next day too because that was a Monday, and the special occasion was me working on a Monday. I wish I could tell you I only added back the creamer, but I would be lying. Turns out special occasions happen frequently in my world. According to, Forbes most New Year’s resolutions last less than four months.
By the end of April, we will feel like we failed, some of us by the end of January. Who’s inspired to go set some goals?
How can you and I live radiantly if the goals we are setting today, don’t last a quarter of the year?
I believe we can find the answer in one word. Resolve. Resolve means, to decide firmly on a course of action.
Do you like making on-the-spot decisions? Decision-making consumes a vast amount of time. Some days I’m tired of making decisions. I don’t care what we eat for dinner, I just don’t want to decide what we are eating.
A few months back we arrived home later than normal after a meeting. I hadn’t taken the time to plan our meals that week or had time to think about our daily dinner plans. My decision to order pizza on the spot was based on my lack of motivation and lack of quick things to throw together in the fridge. It’s why we usually order pizza. I like pizza. I don’t like how I feel after I eat pizza. I almost always regret my decision to order pizza.
When I take the time to decide, what’s for dinner, ahead of time we rarely order pizza. I’m pretty sure my goal to lose (insert whatever number of pounds sounds good here) would be a by-product of my resolve to plan our meals out.
What courses of action can you decide on to live radiantly in 2024?
First, resolve to pursue God’s will rather than your agenda.
Peter wrote,
Therefore, since Christ suffered in the flesh, equip yourselves also with the same resolve—because the one who suffered in the flesh has finished with sin in order to live the remaining time in the flesh, no longer for human desires, but for God’s will.
(1 Peter 4:1-2 HCSB)
When you equip yourself with something, you are providing yourself with the things you will need to complete a purpose. Equipping yourself with the same resolve of Christ means living out, “not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42) Jesus experienced stress when he prayed these words because his flesh knew the cost.
To equip ourselves in the same manner we must resolve to pay the cost. This price will look different from person to person, and from season to season.
Living radiantly means being resolved to give up everything, all you have or believe you have, to follow Him.
Your relationships, your time, your talents, your resources, and every single part of your life. All the same things many of us list as areas to work on, struggling with year after year, can be accomplished when we trust God with them, more than ourselves.
Secondly, resolve to pursue growth.
When I got home from my walk, I felt challenged to write out areas I felt like I’d grown, instead of focusing on the four unread books staring at me. As I remembered courses I’d taken, books I had and read, and things I’d applied I can now look back at 2023 and recognize growth.
In the past, my emotions dictated my responses, negatively. I would become overwhelmed, shutting down for days, hiding from those closest to me. At the beginning of 2023, the Lord gently showed me my word for the year, He wanted to grow my self-control. I remember thinking, good luck Lord, but also recognizing I couldn’t fulfill the purpose in front of me without growing this fruit of the spirit. I started pursuing connections and reading content equipping me to learn and grow in the practice of self-control. I continue to have moments of feeling overwhelmed, but my emotions have stopped spiraling, I am growing in self-control.
I often picture the fruit of the spirit written atop grapes and apples adorning the bulletin board. My comprehension of why Paul used fruit to describe the evidence of the spirit in our lives deepens as I trust God to work in those areas of Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23).
Living radiantly means being resolved to pursue growth in the areas where our responses will reflect Christ in us.
This year I don’t want to grow in only one area, but in all of them. This is why Season Two will focus on how each fruit of the spirit can shine radiantly through us.
As you set your goals for 2024, resolve to “do all for the glory of God” 1 Corinthians 10:31. Pursue Him and pursue growth, when you do this He will give you the strength you need to continue well past April, and the ability to remain steadfast toward His calling and purpose in your life.
Let’s ask Him to help us work towards His goals and His will in 2024.
Father, thank you for loving me. Thank you for giving me purpose. Thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit at work within me. God, I want to shine with your light on the world around me. When I have trouble because my emotions or my desires overwhelm me, give me the ability to fully trust in you. Help me seek growth and not perfection. Let me learn how to extend grace to myself when I fail. Help me always remember your compassions are new every morning. You are faithful and I will choose to trust in you. I resolve to seek You, and your will first, this year. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Let’s go live radiantly.
XOXO,
Laura
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Unglued by Lysa TerKeurst
Galatians 5
All scripture NIV unless otherwise noted
