Scripture Reading: “Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.” Isaiah 64:8
Do you like to set goals in a new year? I read somewhere that almost half of Americans make New Year’s resolutions but only 8% stick to their goals. I am definitely not in that 8% successful group! My resolve to be a goal-oriented person starts strongly at 6 a.m. but by 5 p.m. I can have a completely different attitude. For years I gave up making formal resolutions because adhering to them was so tough. It was discouraging to set a goal and miss the mark time and time again. “Maybe I’m not setting the right goals,” I eventually concluded. “Maybe there’s a better way to help my growth and development. What does God think about all of this?” I wondered.
We’re far enough into 2021 to see it will require a lot of flexibility to function well. Amidst a different set of challenging circumstances, the prophet Isaiah realized something special about God’s people. He noted that are we being *made* by God’s hand. We are clay, not a finished project yet, still in the development phase.
When a work of pottery is being created, it is the maker who chooses how to shape the object. The potter decides what to make the clay into and what traits it will have. Our development process is the same. God, our Potter, is molding us into something new. He picks our features and purposes. He shapes us into what He wills us to be.
In a world of Covid, personal, political, and economic crises, God shows us through his word he wants to mold our hearts and lives. He desires to shape us into His pre-planned pottery! God has goals for YOU in 2021.
As you consider setting resolutions for this year or lament the ones you have already made and broken, what would it look like to embrace what God is teaching you in this season rather than make plans exclusively based off human objectives?
Ask God specifically what traits He wants to birth in you in this season. What are His goals for your heart? Recently, He showed me that He wants me to become more mature by learning patience. And thank God, He has given me an abundance of opportunities to embrace it and practice patience in this crazy world! What is God molding you to be? Rather than fighting against the process, how can you welcome the Lord’s goals for you and embrace the ways He shapes you? You will find incredible purpose and success this year if you seek the Lord’s objectives for you, because God never fails at His goals.
“Father, You are the Potter and I am the clay. I surrender to You. Soften my heart and show me how You want me to grow in this season. I want to embrace Your work in me, not fight against it.”