Resolutions
Another year.
Another day.
Another chance to seize destiny.
To stand in front of the mirror,
dreaming how much prettier I’ll be this year,
glorifying and gloating in myself.
But resolutions quickly falter
and that glass altar I worshiped at
shatters before I even make it to spring.
This year, I don’t want a temporary fix
for a wound that reopens time and time again
and has to be restitched.
I don’t want a band-aid
for my cuts and bruises
or a momentary muzzle for my excuses.
I want a whole new man,
stripped of my ragged clothes
and adorned in the sparkling, white robes
of your righteousness and majesty.
This year, I am resolved to become
more of you and less of me.
– Justin Farley
Soul Notes – Poems and Reflections
If you’re searching for meaning in a world that feels too busy, too loud, too dominated by endless scrolling, Soul Notes is a place to feel heard. A few times a month, I send reflections on nature, mental health, and spirituality. Words to carry with you.
How often do we make grand New Year’s resolutions or even mid-year start overs to pray more, make sure we’re in church every Sunday, or quit the bad habits we know are impacting our relationship with Jesus?
I don’t know about you, but I’m about as all-in as you can get when I first take on the task. And I succeed…For the first week or two, but then actual life gets in the way. I get restless. I get overwhelmed by life. I get lazy. The longer I hold out, the more tempting it is to just give up and give into my worse, most selfish impulses.
I will always lose this battle I’m fighting as long as it’s ME doing all the work, all the resisting, all the changing. Deep, long-lasting change in the matters of the heart doesn’t come by white-knuckling it, holding on for dear life, and going to war with our demons day-in, day-out. That kind of living is unsustainable. And even if you’re the rare person who can sustain it, it makes life miserable. Your whole life becomes a set of rules and “do not”s rather than an exciting journey.
The only way we can see lasting change in our lives is by handing over the reigns and admitting defeat. It’s only by accepting that we aren’t strong enough to handle life alone that we begin searching and seeking God. It’s when we humbly invite the Spirit into our heart, when we ask God to do what we’re unable to do that progress is made.
God has the power to reshape our hearts and provide the grace necessary to handle the stumbling blocks that have always tripped us up. But He doesn’t force our hand. He waits patiently–a still, small voice in our hearts–whispering, encouraging us to invite His healing power into our lives.
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