It’s a new year. Refreshing isn’t it. Some of us will reflect on the last twelve months and take this time to adjust, realign and restart anew with resolutions. Maybe you’ve made a few of them already…to loose those adorable love handles, start and actually finish a devotional plan, maybe this year you’ll listen to Dave Ramsey and manage your finances better, spend quality time with your parents, spouse, kids, and maybe even love your neighbor…love your neighbor LIKE Christ…geez, I know what some of you were thinking!

I’ve made a few resolutions and have already broken them…all! Blah! Obviously I am not very good at keeping resolutions however I was challenged by this passage in Colossians to reflect how I pursued God in 2012.

9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. — Col. 1:9-12

Paul is encouraging the new believers in Colossae to live a life worthy of the Lord Jesus as we share in the inheritance of the kingdom of light. He’s praying for them to be filled with the knowledge of God’s will so that they bear fruit that is pleasing to Him.  Paul also prays that they are empowered by God’s glorious might so that they have endurance, patience and give joyful thanksgiving.

This is no resolution, instead it’s a prayer to pursue God’s will, bear fruit worthy of the Lamb and endure in our faith journey by relying on God’s strength instead of our own in 2013. Would you join me in this prayer to grow in the knowledge of God as we seek to live out His good and perfect will?

If there is any resolution worth keeping this is definitely it.  Don’t worry about the twenty extra pounds you put on over the holidays…you can always hide those love handles by wearing a baggy shirt.  Happy New Years!

Written by: Eddie ‘Anonymous’ Cortes
Twitter: @iameddiecortes