Why New Years' Resolutions don't work - Part II



21For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Matthew 6:21

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Matthew 6:33



There is a principle that is often taught at my church, within our freedom ministry. It goes something like "whatever you focus on, will organize the rest of your life." It's deeper than simply an issue of priorities; it's an issue of the heart.

I've spent the last ten years focused on my body; what goes into and what goes out. I've agonized over what to eat, how much to eat, and what diet plan works the fastest. I focused my energy on food, and food organized the rest of my life. It controlled me. I gained and lost, lost and gained, but the root of the issue was simply where my heart was.

It sounds simple and the good news is, it is. Jesus' burden isn't heavy, it's light! He didn't come to simply yoke us with a new burden, He came to take them all. He simply asks us to seek Him first, and the rest will naturally follow. That means seek Him before your weight loss efforts, and the weight will come off. Seek Him first before your financial crisis, and you'll find it resolved. Seek Him first before your dreams and desires, you'll find that not only are they fulfilled, but expounded upon and changed.

God is for us. He desires the very best for us, but He can't give it to us if we've got our backs turned, and He certainly can't give us anything if our hands are gripped tightly to other things.

Once we loosen the handle we have on what we think we need, and focus on Him, we'll find that those other things simply fall into place. I've seen this happen in my own life. When I finally dropped my need for a promotion, I got the position, when I finally turned my focus off being thin and on Him, the weight started to drop....when I turned my efforts from pointing out others wrongs to seeking His purpose for my own life, I got healed.

Resolutions don't work because they shift our focus onto what we think we need, instead of on Him. Seek first the Kingdom, and all your "resolutions" will be added unto you, but maybe (and probably) not the way you expected. And trust me, that's a good thing.

Comments

Popular Posts