New Year, New You

New Year's Eve always creates a lot of commotion. Many girls are looking for that perfect "New Year's Eve" dress and sparkle, parties are being had, resolutions are being finalized, and the glimmer of a new and improved version of yourself is just around the clock. January 1st holds a lot of promises for some people.

There are many people who are really good at making resolutions and keeping them, I however, am not one of those people. I have tried many times to make resolutions but I just don't seem to keep them. I have tried the gym membership, eating healthier, reading more of the Bible, and much more-- but come week 3 or 4 and my resolutions have dissolved into thin air. February comes and I have already forgotten what my resolutions were.

There is nothing wrong with making resolutions and there is nothing wrong with the universal day (January 1st) to stand as a reminder or a day of new beginnings. I actually find the hype of January 1st to be a good tool used to measure my progress or to reaccess what I have already begun! But after many failed attempts at making New Year's resolutions and staying faithful to them I started to wonder what the purpose of making resolutions was for anyways? Then I found my problem.

I was making resolutions for the wrong reasons.

"I want to look like her!" "I want to fit into that!" "I want to look holier!" These shallow resolutions gave me no solid ground to stand on. I was building my house on sand and not on solid ground. These resolutions had no depth because I was constantly changing the reason for the resolution.

- Disclaimer: this does not mean that we should stop eating healthily and exercising--we need to take care of ourselves so that we can continue to strive for something far better!

The desire for improvement is good. The desire to be "better" than you were last year is also good. We should want to continue moving forward, but not from an earthly stand point. The world's idea of "better" is constantly changing. If we base our resolutions on worldly measures then we will continue to slip because they continue to change.

We need to make resolutions for Heaven, not for Earth.

I decided to make the same resolution for the rest of my life--that is to become the best version of myself! This is something that will continualy need improvement, reassessing, and beginning agains (oh humility). To become the best version of myself is to become the saint I am called to be!

The best version of yourself is not a number. It is a choice.

Choose to love others. Choose to love yourself. Choose to love God. Then you will find the best version of yourself.

Happy New Year!

Be His,