Casandra Martin

Well, she’s done it again. Another one of my sons has succumbed to the charm of the 101-year-old beauty that graces our church family.

We had changed pews. A temporary necessity for one week, but it is amazing how changing where you sit can change your perspective. We require our teenagers to sit in front of us during worship. They can sit anywhere they want, as long as they sit in front of us. We sit on the fourth row.

This week, our change in position opened up a whole new realm of possibilities for our son. He looked at the auditorium with wide-eyed wonder, scouting out his new freedom. Where would he sit?

We lost track of him in the few minutes before services began. The singing started, and as we settled into our pew, we looked around the auditorium curious as to where our son had decided to invest his expanded choice of where to worship. We searched for the top of his head among the groups of young people, cute girls, and family friends. We couldn’t find him.

Finally, we spotted him. Beautiful white curls and short dark hair framed the picture as two hearts spanned by almost ninety years joined together in praise. Sitting there watching them filled my heart with both humility and gratitude. My son’s choice to align himself with someone who so clearly loves Jesus reminds me to be deliberate about surrounding myself with people who will point me to Him. His companion’s open-hearted hospitality teaches me about the tremendous power of welcoming someone to walk alongside you as you seek the face of God. It was a powerful sermon spoken in silence as they worshipped together.

My Jesus Resolution today is to soak in their sermon. My son is captivated by the heart of someone who vividly looks like Jesus. Too many times, my eyes settle on the cheap dazzles of the world. He reminds me that true beauty is best discovered in someone with a worn Bible and a welcoming smile. Our friend opens her heart to anyone with a hunger for Jesus, even if it means changing her routine. Too often, I want to choose what is convenient or comfortable. Her willingness to share her heart with a teenager takes my breath away.

“If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

We live regular lives. Ordinary lives. Lives filled with the unremarkable, commonplace stuff necessary to take care of our families, do our jobs, and order our lives. Like so many others, my life is dominated by the rhythm of the washing machine, the need to go to the grocery store, the ring of the alarm clock, and the insistent deadlines of work. There doesn’t seem to be much time or many opportunities for great deeds, bold acts of service, or risky steps of faith.

We are captivated by big – big sacrifices, big speeches, and big splashes in the pool of life. But Martin Luther King, Jr.’s words remind us of the big impact ordinary can have when lived with passion and purpose.

It doesn’t matter what position you hold. What matters is how you live out the position to which you have been called. Will you fill your little corner of the world with light, walk with integrity, respond with love, open doors with hospitality, and treat others with dignity? You have the opportunity today to let others experience grace, be touched by kindness, and catch a glimpse of what is possible when someone walks with God.  Jesus said it this way – “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16) It takes the continual surrender of who I am to create a canvas on which God’s glory can shine.

My Jesus Resolution today is be a street sweeper. I am going to embrace all the opportunities that living my regular, ordinary life has for showing Jesus to others. I am not going to wish to be someone else or hope that one day the “big” chance comes along. Every day I have a thousand moments in which I can spread a little kindness, extend a touch of grace, offer a cheerful smile, speak a gentle word, or hold out a helping hand. Each one by itself may not seem like much. But one brushstroke doesn’t make a masterpiece. One note isn’t a symphony. But a million dabs of paint later, you could see the beauty of the Sistine Chapel. The same is true of my life. I may not be able to see how God can use each of these ordinary moments, but I want the sum of them to point to one place – Jesus.

My dog is terrified of thunder. Seriously scared. If there is a thunderstorm, he cowers and wanders around the house looking for a place of shelter and comfort. Nothing ever quite seems to do. He will hide under beds, crawl into the small space under the coffee table, climb stairs, and squeeze into the recesses of the laundry room in order to escape the thunder.

I look a lot like my dog.

Too often I let fear define my steps. I chase after shadows, try to find hiding places for my heart, and turn to illusions of comfort that, in the end, disappoint. I run from place to person to website to pacifier in order to escape the fear that seems to dog my steps.

Eventually, my dog will give up his chaotic search for a thunderless spot, and come and settle down at my feet. He will curl up close and wait. He will spend the rest of the storm by my side. My presence seems to be the remedy for his fear.

I need to look a lot more like my dog.

Instead of turning to experts, indulging in bad habits, and trying to find my own fear solutions, I need to settle myself at the feet of Jesus. I need to curl up close and wait. I need to find my reassurance in His nearness. I need to listen to His voice, dig deeper into His love, and experience His peace. His presence is the remedy for my fear.

My Jesus Resolution today is let the thunder drive me into His presence. Storms are going to happen. Health crises, financial troubles, job worries, and family struggles are going to darken the horizon. Thunder is the result of pressure and sudden changes in the atmosphere. Often, so is fear. I can let the thunder of fear intimidate me or remind me that God is close. When I hear a rumble, I am going to let the storm turn me toward the Savior.

One of the things that I love about the Bible is its ability to surprise me. There is always a new treasure to discover, a new truth to be learned, and a new facet of God’s character to explore. God never changes, and His Word remains the same. I am the one who is different. As I grow, and hopefully mature, God continues to open His heart to me, calling me, forgiving me, challenging me, and transforming me. Because of His work, I experience new things in His Word each time I open my Bible.

Today it is John 1:14. Actually, it is just the first nine words that are holding such a powerful grip on my heart and imagination. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” The intensity of that statement is overwhelming. Jesus left heaven, and moved into the world. He put on our shoes, and walked in our lives. He traded glory for grime, majesty for mess, praise for abuse, and a throne for a cross.

These words hold not only a tremendous gift, but a powerful challenge. If I am going to look like Jesus, I have to do the same thing. I must be willing to walk in another’s life in order to point them to God. Honestly, I don’t always want to do that. It is messy, inconvenient, disquieting, and disruptive. But that is what Jesus calls us to do. Put on someone else’s shoes and walk, not just a mile, but two miles with them in order to extend grace and let them see Christ.

My Jesus Resolution today is to put on some shoes. I am going to take a hard look at the places and people that fill my days and ask Him to show me where I need to walk. Maybe I need to change pews at church and sit with a mother with small children or teens who need to know they are loved. Maybe I need to walk over to my neighbor’s house rather than waving from across the street. Maybe I need to make the phone call, send the card, give the hug, or make the trip. Jesus left everything to walk in my shoes. I want to walk in His steps.

There is nothing like the sunshine to change the mood of our days. Clouds darken more than the light outside. They sometimes bring shadows to our souls. Sunshine expands our vision. It warms our hearts, making colors sparkle. In the sunlight, images seem crisper, the day looks brighter, and the possibilities seem endless.

Sometimes, we don’t even realize how invasive the clouds have become until we see the rays of the sun. Darkness and discouragement cause us to question the faithfulness of God. A storm brews on the horizon. A conflict forces us to deeply examine our hearts. Tears fall like rain from our eyes. And then the sun. God’s faithful, gentle mercy clears the sky, embracing us in the warmth of His presence. We feel a weight lift up from our hearts as we watch light peek over the horizon.

There is a song we sing about heavenly sunlight and the difference it makes on our journey. Written by H.J. Zelley in 1899, it reminds us of the truth that the light of Jesus is what brings heavenly sunshine into our days, no matter what they hold.

He is the light, in Him is no darkness,

Ever I’m walking close to His side.

Heavenly sunlight, heavenly sunlight,

Flooding my soul with glory divine;

Hallelujah! I am rejoicing,

Singing His praises, Jesus is mine.

My Jesus Resolution today is to walk in the sunlight. I am going to enjoy the sunshine today as a gift from One who loves me beyond measure. I want to bask in its warmth and feel the intensity of His passion for each one of us. I am going to delight in its vibrant colors, knowing He delights in me.

Do you make resolutions? Some people don’t, but I love stopping to take inventory and the adventure of imagining that my life can be more than it is today. Resolutions speak of hope, fresh starts, possibilities, and potential. They frame a truth that is at the heart of God’s movement in this world – what we are today is not all there is. With God, there is a richer, deeper, fuller life awaiting us than we can ever imagine or realize on our own.

There are as many different resolutions as there are people. Most of our resolutions center around our health, being more organized, accomplishing a task or goal, being better financial stewards, or strengthening our relationships. It is interesting that the most important resolution we can make provides the foundation for accomplishing everything else.

Paul said it best. “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” (I Corinthians 2:2) We call it The Jesus Resolution, and it is the commitment to look like Jesus every day. As we surrender to God’s grace and power, He transforms us into the image of His Son. And it is in the resolve to look like Jesus that the rest of our resolutions find their shape and substance.

The resolution to look like Jesus will shape the way we treat our bodies, walk in our relationships, spend our money, use our talents, organize our time, make our entertainment choices, and do our jobs. As we take The Jesus Resolution to heart, it overflows into every area of our lives and transforms it in accordance with God’s purpose and plan.

My Jesus Resolution today is to once again make The Jesus Resolution. This isn’t a make it once, check it off, or let it slide by January 15^th kind of commitment. This is the most important resolution I can make. By His grace, He calls me to walk by His side, know His heart, and participate in His purpose. More than anything, God wants me to look like Jesus. He is willing, able, and ready to unleash His power in me to make that possible. All it takes is a surrendered soul and a resolve to follow where He leads. It will change everything because it changes me. Will you join me in making The Jesus Resolution?

I love the week between Christmas and New Year’s. It is a time of both reflection and anticipation. There is something special about sitting under a warm quilt and counting the blessings that have piled up during the last year. I love to trace God’s hand on my family, contemplate the simple things that filled our days with joy, count the friends that touched our hearts, review the struggles that taught us humility and dependence, and stand in wonder at the immeasurable gift of grace that overflowed on us. It is a neat time to take notice of all of the ways God worked, moved, and stood with us. The end of the year is a good time to take inventory of how we have grown, the level of our surrender, and the ways that we see God more clearly.

While we count down to the end of 2011, 2012 lies before us full of possibilities. It is in those possibilities that God wants us to dream. He longs for us to open our eyes to the opportunities that are ours in Him. In 2012, He will invite us deeper into His presence, offer us the chance to experience amazing transformation, and call us to more complete surrender.

As you make your plans for the fresh starts and new beginnings that 2012 has in store for you, here are five suggestions for practical steps that will help you in your desire to look more like Jesus.

1. Start a gratitude journal. Write down three things every day for which you are thankful.

2. Keep a prayer list. Make a list of the people, situations, and circumstances for which you pray. Pay special attention to the way God answers you.

3. Commit to Bible study. Bible study is the most important spiritual discipline you can embrace if you want to look more like Jesus. Read your Bible daily. Join a Bible study group. Invest in a Bible study resource.

4. Find time to be quiet every day. Give God ten minutes of your day. Be still. Let Him speak to your heart. Honor the truth that He is Lord. Sit humbly before Him and let yourself be loved.

5. Sing a song. Singing has a special way of cementing truths in our hearts. Pick a worship song, a psalm of praise, or a verse of “Jesus Loves Me” and sing it out loud every day.

My Jesus Resolution today is to look back and look forward. I am going to stop and count the ways that God has moved in my life to help me look more like Jesus. I am also going to prepare my heart for the adventure that being His child will bring in 2012. I want to bow deeper, surrender more quickly, listen more readily, and see more clearly. I can look back at this last year and see the countless ways God moved to bring me closer to Himself. I can’t wait to see and experience all He has in store for 2012.

“When we get into the habit of truly paying attention to life, we often find that miracles are all around us. They are simply every day occurrences seen more clearly.”
— Chelle Thompson 

I live a too busy life. It is a wonderful life, a full life, a blessed life, and a crazy life. Like everyone else, my plate is overflowing, my calendar jammed packed, and my to-do list unending. God has blessed me with a terrific family, a job that makes my spirit soar, and opportunities to walk with Him every day. There isn’t really very much about my life that I would change, except perhaps one thing. I want to see better.

In the midst of all the busyness, I tend to go through my days with my eyes half closed. I don’t see all of the treasures God weaves into my day. I get focused on my list, put my attention on going faster, and keep my eyes on myself, what I have to do, what I didn’t get done, and how I am going to do more tomorrow. In the process, I miss the everyday miracles. The little moments of wonder, the possibilities for praise, the touches of eternity that all have the potential to awaken our souls to the presence of God.

Learning to pay attention to life takes practice and discipline. It requires developing a mindset that anticipates the truth that God is going to reveal Himself, call my name, or open the door into His presence somewhere in my day. The habit of awareness involves pausing frequently in the middle of the busyness to look around and notice the small, quiet things that point to the sacred. A heart that lives in full attention hears not only the noise of life, but the subtle rhythms that speak His name and call for our praise.

My Jesus Resolution today is to open my eyes and see better. I want to see people better. I want to see them through the lens of His joy, love, patience, and purpose. I want to see my blessings more clearly. It is in my blessings that I am most easily able to trace the hand of God on my day. I want to be able to look at my obstacles and see opportunities. I want to see Jesus everywhere I look and in everything I do. I want to be able to see Him moving in my day, standing in my relationships, walking in my schedule, and filling the corners of my heart with His presence. Today I am going to look for the everyday miracles God plants all around me. What do you think we will see today?