The Perfect Recipe for the New Year

Hello 2022! I want to start off this post by wishing you a happy new year! I'm so glad you're here! I want to begin this post by giving you a challenge. Write out a prayer, praying over this new year. Write out whatever is on your heart. Once you have done that, place it somewhere for safe keeping. Set a reminder on your phone for December 31st that reminds you to "read my prayer." Take a look at what you wrote. See how God has worked throughout the past 364 days. I like exercises like this as they actually give us proof of what thoughts and concerns we had and what the state of our heart was. I'm pretty forgetful so often I forget the ways God has worked for my good.

Regardless of if our year is everything we hoped it would be, we can agree that God has a plan for each of our lives. The holidays for me have been a time where I eat sweet treats and sometimes bake. When I bake, I like to start from scratch. I follow a recipe, mix everything like I'm supposed to, bake for the amount of time it says on the recipe, and yet my cookies come out slightly different each time. I begin to become disappointed with my cookies because they did not meet the expectation I had for them.

This same idea can be applied to our lives. When a new year starts, we try to plan our lives for the year and try to execute that plan very precisely. When this plan for our year doesn't turn out how we wished it would, we become disappointed. I'll even admit that I've blamed God for this before.

But God has His own recipe for our lives. Proverbs 16:9 NLT says "We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps." We can try to have our lives planned out to a "T" but ultimately until we surrender our plans to the Lord we can't have our life turn out "perfectly." (I put that in quotes as none of us are perfect but God is in all His ways.) So, why haven't you surrendered your plans yet?

There are a few scenarios that come to my mind right away: fear, need of control, and ignorance. Maybe you're afraid to let go and let God. Maybe you are comfortable where you are now and are afraid to step out of your comfort zone. Maybe everything else in your life is spiraling out of control and you feel like the only thing you have control of are your plans. Maybe you don't want to admit that you need help. You can't do it on your own but are living in ignorance of the love of your Father because you feel like surrender is for weaklings. Surrender is hard. No one wants to admit they're wrong. No one wants give up what they're fighting for or clinging to. But surrendering your will to God is one of the best things you can do. You no longer have to carry the burden of doing it on your own. You just have to trust.

Maybe your trust has been broken. By someone who you loved. But God never breaks His promise. God is perfect love. God has plans for you. He loved you enough to die on a cross, carrying all the burdens you're carrying plus all the burdens of all who were and are and who are to come. Jesus stepped down from His throne and became flesh so that one day you could have life. Luke 22:42 says "Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine." Here, Jesus is praying on the Mount of Olives right before His arrest. This is a perfect example of surrender.

So, as you go through the day, making resolutions for this year, allow your priority to be this: whatever happens, submit your plans to the Lord. I hope you have a great day and a wonderful year! Wishing you many blessings,

Mia