Although I fear it may fall upon deaf ears, I feel a compulsive need to talk about the new year. As we ascend into the second week of the second semester of 2017, I’ve come to a frightening realization: this year, just like every year before it, is going to slow down for no one. In a limited number of days I will (hopefully) be picking up a graduation diploma, walking away from school with a basic understanding of Algebra and an unprecedented ability to write an entire research paper at two o’clock in the morning. All things aside, high school will be categorized as a memory, and that is a hard pill to swallow.

I’ve had many fleeting ideas of ways that I could improve my life in 2017. Most of which pertained to my self image, whether it was actually investing a gym membership (HA!) or attempting to attain a shred of willpower to fight my compulsive craving for sour candy. Typically, it only takes about a week for the novelty of the new year to wear off and for each of us to fall back into a mundane routine of our lives and look forward to the next opportunity to start over. A few days after the hype of the new year has died off, I realized that none of my goals were going to benefit my life in any way other than in the most superficial of aspects. So with a cup of coffee and my prayer journal I set off to ask God how I could become my best self this year. With all the changes He was bringing to my life and all the opportunity that I was going to be blessed with, what was He wanting me to do? Once I’d finished, I flipped back through my journal and came to the striking realization that it had been over a month since I’d journaled consistently (i.e.: everyday for at least a week).  

I have decided to challenge myself this year by attempting to be consistently reliant on the Lord. Not to worship and praise Him in short, energetic spurts. But to love and make much of God with resilience. I will not selfishly strive to be the best version of myself, for my greatest endeavor of 2017 I will about becoming the best I can be for Christ. I want to fall in love with Him over and over and not stray as I move out, or as I start a new school year. I do not want my relationship with Christ to be one that is about myself, I do not want to desire selfish gain from relationship with the Lord. My greatest desire this year is to be satisfied with God, so that I may bring glory to Him, as He is most glorified when we are most pleased with him. 

The thing that many Christians forget is that God consistently looks upon you with fresh eyes. You are never tarnished, nor are you in need of a clean slate. You never in need of a new year to start over. All that is required is a small moment of meditation is God’s presence to ask him for forgiveness, a forgiveness we have already been granted before the words have left our lips. The problem most people have with their resolutions is that they are never fulfilling, they are typically superficial and short termed. One can only be truly happy when they are completely reliant on God to fulfill their needs. God does not want you to live a normal life. He wants you to live one that is of abundance, through Him.