Living in Righteousness

These post are getting harder to write. Or perhaps this is the hardest. For obvious reasons. RIGHTEOUSNESS. Well I definitely am not on my own or by my own will or effort. Righteousness is unobtainable without Christ. Righteousness is the very qualities and being of Jesus. So if we are trying to "just try harder" or "commit more time to commit better effort" good luck. This is appropriately timed since so far I have procrastinated on the list I promised to post......but I have to say that even in my poor effort I think God will be glorified in this timing. Last night and today as so many, including myself, set NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS I think the best is this. Strive to hand your efforts, commitments, goals, and life over to Christ. Only He holds the future. Your goal should be Him.

James 4: 13-14 tells us that:
Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit." Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.

I set goals every year. Looking back over this last year I can say that I am truly blessed beyond words. I sit too humbled as I make my list of thankfulness: 1. blessed by 2 sweet health kids  2. even more blessed by a sweet, Godly husband who also demonstrates his understanding and helps me around the house even when he is tired and busy  3. blessed by a sweet friend and study partner with CFMT (Kaysi)  4. Passed CFMT  5. Applied for fellowship (don't care the results but GOD got me to the point where I could)  6. Found the small amount of cancer, successfully removed it, and is helping me find my new balance  7. blessed me with people that I've known forever that I am still blessed to have strong friendships or contact with.  8. Continue to be blessed by a 4 day week and a wonderful day to spend with my children.   9. Time to spend in the Word

These are just a few. I could go on and on but God knows them so well.  I've already begun to make my list for this year. That's how I operate. I love the thrill of setting goals and meeting them. Not just for the sake of setting goals to say I did. Or to check them off when I meet them. It is the thrill of knowing that when I set a goal it is useless if I do not ask what the Lord would have first.  James 4: 15 says: Instead, you ought to say, " If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that." I know that I can set goals but it is truly up to Him and what He wants. What is truly amazing is that often He wants us to simply consult Him first. Before we set out and make decisions. Simply ASK. The results are unbelievable when He blesses us to see the results and brings them about. I'm thankful that He knows our greatest desires and grants those. I have also been equally grateful when I have wanted something so bad that it hurts and He doesn't give it to me. I love when He reminds me what I asked for and shows me how He answered that request to give me something greater than I thought to ask for. He's a gracious and giving God.

So how does that tie back to living in righteousness. Well, truthfully at this point God has taught me that if it is not from Him and if it is not what He wants for me, it is not worth having. I pray over my goals again that they may be avenues that bless others, bless my family, and glorify Him FULLY. I pray that these goals will be beyond myself so that His presence may be obvious to others. I pray that self, selfishness, pride, jealousy, hardness of heart, bitterness, or ambition do not enter into these goals today or throughout the year. I pray for His righteousness in my life and in my family. Thank God I know Him and am saved by Him and He covers my imperfections. He is my ultimate goal! He's the reason for setting them. I want them to be His fruit. I pray He teaches me what living in righteousness means & looks like and that I never look to the world to define that for me.