Resolutions and God's Grace

With the new year upon us, it is a time of reflection on the past and looking forward to what is in store. I have been thinking about Resolutions for a few weeks, always deciding against actually taking these on because I know that I'll fail. I really hate failing at things, so I tend to set goals for myself that I know are attainable. Doing so, I never really challenge myself to reach beyond my known capabilities.

A friend from BCM let me borrow his copy of "Blue Like Jazz." I went home to start reading the book the day before new year's eve and saw that the same guy had posted a new blog that I immediately read.
Here's the link:
http://releasethesong.blogspot.com/2011/12/welcome-to-new-day.html
(This blog is written in by five very strong yet very different men of God, all friends of mine. I recommend reading any of the posts in this blog.)

I was very inspired by this blog entry. He speaks of how discouraging failing at New Year's Resolutions can be and encourages readers to strive for daily Resolutions instead. I love this idea. One day is a much more manageable time frame than an entire year.
With this fresh in my mind, I began reading "Blue Like Jazz." Every chapter has contained concepts that have made me think and examine my Christian walk.

I just read a chapter in which the author, Donald Miller, talks about his struggle in accepting God's grace. He talks of how he felt that grace was some sort of charity from God and how he found it hard to accept this charity in his pride.
God offers His grace to us unconditionally. When I feel that I have failed at reaching a New Year's Resolution or a goal much bigger than that, God's grace stands true.

So as I face 2012, I am striving to set daily Resolutions that stretch me and challenge me to do much greater than I feel I am capable of. When I fail, because I undoubtably will, I do not need to feel like a failure; God's grace is present for me in these failures.





"But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it." 
                      -Ephesians 4:7