As the time came for me to share my resolution, I couldn’t help but think of the many things I could improve upon in the next year – fitness, healthy eating, organization, saving more and spending less..the list seems endless – but despite all of my ponderings, there was a stirring in my heart I just couldn’t ignore… It was God, reminding me that 2017 isn’t all about me – or toys, or horses, or fitness, or money – it’s about Him.
Yep, not all about me. About Him. About living life with such a tenacious faith that others are drawn to Him simply because they can see the good the work He is doing in me.
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary has several definitions for the word TENACIOUS, but these three speak the nearest to my heart:
***not easily pulled apart (cohesive)
***tending to adhere or cling….
***persistent in maintaining, adhering to, or seeking something valued or desired
Did you catch that? To be tenacious means that I need to cling, be persistent and seek so that I am not easily pulled apart from God….
Psalm 63:8 says “I cling to you, your right hand upholds me.”
Yep, that’s right. Right there in His word, God’s calling us to be tenacious – to CLING to Him in all circumstances, and reminding us that He will be with us every step of the way.
But God didn’t stop there. He didn’t just remind us to cling to Him and then leave us to figure out how to do it on our own. I love these verses from the apostle Paul teaching us about how to cling to God’s goodness and live out our faith in love…
Romans 12:9-16: Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
It seems that tenacious faith starts when thinking only of myself ends and loving others begins. It deepens when I am fervently serving the Lord, faithfully seeking Him through prayer, and patiently waiting with joyful hope in anticipation of God’s direction for the next step of my journey. And it manifests in real life when I give of myself to others, pour out kindness (even to those who have deeply wounded me), celebrate life’s “wins” and triumphs with the people around me and grieve with those whose lives have been turned upside down and just may be struggling to keep hope that they have not been forgotten. Tenacious faith begins when there is LESS of ME and MORE of HIM.
So yes, when the time came for me to reveal my New Year’s Resolution, I told those little girls that my New Year’s Resolution was to “be better” about living for Jesus in 2017.
Because God is calling me to live out my life with Tenacious Faith. I hope you’ll join me for the ride.
***I would love to hear how God is calling you to live out your life with Tenacious Faith. Please leave your name and a comment below.Thanks so much for stopping in and encouraging myself and others by sharing your story!
