Welcome to Hank’s Place
As the new year gets underway, many of us make resolutions. Usually they are retreads of last year’s, since we failed at those. Maybe we’ll do better this year, right? Ha!
New year resolutions are an example of trying to live by the LAW. The power to accomplish these things lies within us. We humans have limitations. Weak flesh. And our resolutions tell us to do good but they do not give us the power to do so. Am I right?
My friend, I suggest there’s a better way we can live life – and that, is by the grace of God, not our labors. As an old song from the 70’s said, “Learning to lean, learning to lean, I’m learning to lean on Jesus — finding more power than I’d ever dreamed, I’m learning to lean on Jesus.”
Take salvation — “…whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16. Not our performance, but JESUS. “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”— “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved. Acts 16:30. “Leaning” on Jesus we could say.
Back to those resolutions. Perhaps, your bathroom scale is inexplicably reading 15 pounds higher in this new year. You can make a resolution to drop those 15 new pounds in the next 30 days, Googling the best new diet plans, buying expensive supplements guaranteed to melt fat away while you sleep. Counting calories. Maybe by sheer will power you drop some pounds. But we know that like Frosty the Snowman, they’ll be back again someday.
How about we humbly ask God to help us lose that weight? Then we ‘lean on Jesus,’ learning to walk by the Spirit – as He leads us to smaller portions, better food, passing the second helping, perhaps some exercise. We may, as we ‘lean,’ find our appetite changing.
By the grace of God, He has given us the Holy Spirit, which Jesus said would guide us into all truth. John 16:13. Truth about the things of God, but also truth about living — lightly, freely, joyfully in our daily walk, for His ways are not burdensome.
The promptings of the Spirit are rarely loud. Gentle. Whispers. A thought. Then it’s our choice to believe and follow, leaning on Jesus – not our fleshly appetites ! Also, in leaning, we may find ourselves suddenly infused with POWER to push away from the table effortlessly!
How about we begin this year, not with resolutions, but making our requests known before God and asking for His grace to bring us the help we need?
After all, this is our year to lean upon Jesus — and COME ALIVE!
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