2018: What's your resolution?

As we enter into 2018, I want to remind you that you bring God great Joy. When he looks at you, He doesn't see a problem to be fixed but a child to be loved.

Saint Paul declared to the church in Ephesus that "God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure" (Ephesians 1:5). 

Should you change? Maybe. If your doctor tells you to stopping drinking so much beer.... well you probably should listen to him. If you are stressed all the time, maybe a discipline like mediation or prayer could be helpful.

But why change? Why are you making that resolution?

Are you changing so you can finally love yourself or think in making these changes you will be loved by others, by God.

This my friend is not true Love.

This might sound ridiculous but unconditional love comes without conditions.


If I love you, I do want the best for you, but I'm not waiting for you to change to start loving you.

This is what God did for us. If he said, "I'm going to wait to send Jesus into the world until you start having your act together" well then Jesus would have never been born to the Virgin Mary.

Love acts. Love went to the cross, "because no greater love than this to lay down your life for your friend" (Gospel of Saint John). 


Do I want my son, Neil, to crawl his whole life or do I want him to learn to walk? Silly Question, right? I love him and I know the best for him is not to be crawling when he is 12 years old.

But do I love him less because he is not walking? Of course not!

And neither does God. His love for you does not cease because you aren't where you expect yourself to be spiritually. He doesn't scream and get frustrated from Heaven, "WHY DON'T YOU PRAY MORE, LOVE MORE, ETC"


He looks at each moment of our lives with Joy and pleasure. I love that you are learning to walk. And one day you will even run! He is not impatient waiting for you to "get it." He loves the struggle because He knows what kind of person it is helping you become.

So should you make a resolution? Wrong question.

Do you know you are loved and bring great pleasure to God? I hope you do.
And I hope any decision to change is precipitated by the truth that you are adored by the God of Heaven.

So let's make a resolution declaration,

"I will remind myself daily that I belong to my Father in Heaven. He loves me completely and chose to adopt me into His family before the foundations of the earth. I bring him Joy. When I get frustrated with myself, He is patient, He is kind. He is always pulling me forward and pursuing me. And He never stops smiling over me, like a proud proud daddy"

Peace out! Stay Warm!