A Relentless Pursuit

There is just something so incredibly special about the fresh start of a new year. With it comes excitement, enthusiasm, expectancy, and a childlike wonder of all the things to come. There is so much anticipation for what God is going to do in and through us, and it's like we get to grab a big ole tub of buttery popcorn and enjoy watching the events unfold.

I am a planner by nature, so I absolutely love sitting down with my calendar and my prayer journal to begin seeing my year "unfold" on paper. As time marches on though, I realize more and more that my years sometimes don't always turn out like I "planned" them to. Many times they turn out much better, but sometimes they bring more trials, tribulations, and disappointments than I would have preferred.

I have been prone to think that all trials are bad. And that the good times are good. Which seemingly makes sense, right? Well, James puts it a little differently. He says this in his first chapter:

"Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be complete, lacking nothing."

Ouch. Those verses literally hurt to read. James, bro, like why do we need to be joyful when we go through trials? Don't you know my happiness is all that matters and that I'm only happy when life is peachy. Just kidding, but here is what I learn every time: though every trial, every tribulation, and every pain, Jesus Christ is faithful, His love endures forever, and earthly troubles stand so incredibly small in comparison to His majestic might and power and the eternal glory to come.

Have you ever had situations or circumstances in your life that tried to completely rock your faith? I can say with a resounding yes that I have. And to be very honest with you, in those moments it is incredibly tempting to give up, to quit, to run and hide, to ultimately fall prey to the Enemy's schemes.

It's in those moments of weakness that our Enemy, Satan, tries to shatter every ounce of faith, hope, and trust we have stockpiled, and he tries to make us think that all we can do is give up and quit.

These thoughts on trials and advice from James led me to determining my "word of the year" for 2018. I have always loved seeing others choose a word to live by for the year, a word that Christ may have placed directly on their hearts, or a word they are striving to pursue wholeheartedly for that particular year.

As of late, the word that has come up over and over in my life is this: relentless. 

My husband and parents would tell you that I can be pretty relentless about some things (those things will remain unnamed, but I'll just say that they may or may not have to do mainly with getting my way, haha).

But my real goal for 2018 is to be relentless in the important areas of my life: my faith, my prayer life, serving (locally, internationally, wherever possible), giving, fasting, in my marriage, in my classroom, and on my volleyball court. 

I want to be less distracted by earthly things and keep my eyes laser-sharp focused on the eternal. I want my life to be a living epistle that will point people directly back to Christ. I want to live in such humility, daily becoming less so He can become more in my life.

I want to have such a relentless resiliency that when Satan tries to come knocking on my door, he is the one that turns around running scared because he just witnessed the power of the Living God (who has already defeated him, mind you) at work in those very situations he was trying to ruin. 

There have been times I've been timid. Scared to make a wrong decision. Scared of disappointment. Scared of failure. Scared of intimidation. At the very moment I needed to hear it, I read this quote by Pastor Chris Hodges:

"The more time you spend with Jesus, the less time you're going to spend being intimidated by the opinions of others or worrying about your problems."

I have to remind myself daily that worry is a sin and that it literally does me no good and only brings harm. So I am claiming that 2018 will be our best year yet, not because of how great we are but because of Who we serve. Our God is:

Jehovah Shalom, our Peace

Jehovah Raah, our Shepherd

Jehovah Nissi, our Banner of Victory

Jehovah Rapha, our Healer

Jehovah Jireh, our Provider

Jehovah Tsidkenu, our Righteousness

Jehovah M'Kaddesh, our Sanctifier.

We are not designed to live this life using our own strength; we are designed to need His. 

My prayer for you and for me is that we fully saturate our hearts with the Word so that we know how to properly fight our battles. That we realize we are not fighting against others; we are fighting a much greater war that is happening in the spiritual realm.

Time is running near, friends. I pray we spend every single day of 2018 with the bigger picture in mind. That we desperately crave to point people back to Christ. That we fall so deeply in love with the Savior that saved our very lives from an eternity spent apart from Him. That we forget the petty and focus on the praise. That we let the small things go and release them at the foot of the cross. That we love on one another. That we build each other up and edify each other with our words.

That we demonstrate daily the fruits of the Spirit.

Love 

Joy

Peace

Patience

Kindness

Goodness

Faithfulness

Gentleness

Self-Control 

"You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." 1 John 4:4

Let's live it, y'all. Let's make 2018 the best year we have ever had.
The best is yet to come.
Pursue Him relentlessly.

Love & Blessings, 

Claire

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