How Are Those New Year's Resolutions Going?

It is still early in the New Year.  Many people make - and then break - resolutions for the new year.  How are your's going?  I think Jesus told us the one resolution we need to make DAILY - Matthew 6: 33 - Seek first HIM---and His will for our lives!  If that is not done, then I believe we are probably doomed to fail at any resolve me make.
This morning I began a devotional by A. W. Tozer  designed for pastors/ministry leaders.   The title was "Personal Life:  Let God Alone."  Immediately I was reminded of the old cliche, "let go and let God."  The scripture it used was James 1: 4 - "But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."  You guys know me, I love to go to the Amplified Bible and meditate on the words they use .  The verse reads this way there, "But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing."  A few additional words to emphasize the assurance.

Tozer tells us that through this verse God is saying, "I stand ready to pour a little liquid fire into your heart, into your spiritual being!"  However, we respond: "No, Lord, please excuse me. That sounds like fanaticism—and I would have to give up some things!" 

So, what are we doing?  We refuse His desire for us, even though we want all the benefits of His cross.  That cannot be!  We must resolve to seek first Him---and allow Him to do His work in us.

The devotional goes on to say:  "There is this thoughtful phrase in The Cloud of Unknowing: "He wills thou do but look on Him and let Him alone."  We are being challenged to "Let God alone."  Let Him do His work in us.  Do not try to stop Him.  Do not stand in His way.  Do not "prevent Him from kindling your heart, from blessing you and leading you out of a common state into that of special longing after Him."

You and I do not have to "coax" God.  He is not waiting for us to beg Him for His blessings.  The blessings are His to give and He waits for us to let Him work.

Again the devotional says, "Look on Him and let Him work, let Him alone." Get your hands down to your side and stop trying to tell God where to cut. Stop trying to make the diagnosis for God. Stop trying to tell God what to give you. He is the Physician! You are the patient...."  I guess it is our human nature to try to reverse the roles and manipulate things along, but we really need to heed what Tozer is saying.  As we are admonished in the Psalms - be still and KNOW God.  Our constant efforts to "reverse roles" and manipulate things to "help the process" stands in the way of God accomplishing His full and complete work in us.

Today, I challenge you (and myself) to let Him work in you (us).  As we do, our spiritual lives will begin to "blaze like the rising sun."  It will be visible to those around us.  We will be better able to withstand the snares of the enemy!

Here is the prayer they ended the devotional with:  "Lord, I know there is a work You want to do in my life today. I'll try to stay out of the way, take my hands off, and let You work! I'll put my hands to my side even now as a sign that I'm going to let You alone today to do Your work in me. Amen."