I love the promise of a new year.
As soon as Christmas ends, my mind starts anticipating the
freshness that comes with starting on day one of the new 365. When the calendar rolls over, I’m ready to
make the leap into new adventures and, Lord willing, improvements
to my life.
This year, more than in years past, I’m looking forward to a blank
slate and new perspective. It is not unusual for someone to make resolutions in
anticipation of starting over, but I'm taking the idea of
change and motivation a step further and bringing my family along with me.
We’re adopting a family motto.
This past year was full of change for the Naaktgeborens. We finished building our house and finally
moved in at the end of summer. For the first time, both my kids were in school
which meant more streamlined mornings. I
had the opportunity to write more, but was also bogged down by work woes. It truly
was a year of highs and lows and, as a result, I found myself turning more
inward.
Time for a change.
This year and beyond, my family will focus on loving God and
loving people. As we pursue God, our hope is He will use us to see the good and be
the good in our own family, in our friendships, in our church family, and in
our community.
So, what does this look
like?
See the Good
Sometimes it’s difficult to see the good, especially when a
situation seems like anything but. It’s easy to get bogged down by trying
situations, but much easier to endure when your heart is close to God. Saturating your life with scripture and prayer
gives you the ability to see the good in tough people and tough
situations.
We walk through life
sometimes with a black cloud of pessimism and defeat raining all over us, but
it’s important to remember what Jesus tells us in John 16:33:
I have said these
things to you that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have
tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.
Jesus has already overcome the world; why do we walk around
in our day-to-day lives like He hasn’t? As Christians we know we have eternity
waiting for us, an eternity worshipping our perfect, loving, sovereign God.
God has overcome the world.
That gives us the freedom to see the good, the silver lining, in every situation
because God works everything for good.
It also allows us to see the good in the people we encounter
every day. We are quick to judge a person
by a particular situation, but one thing I’ve learned in my thirty-seven years
is that there is more going on than meets the eye. Every person is carrying his or her own burdens. We
shouldn’t be so quick to throw stones while we have planks protruding from our
own eyes.
Part of loving others as God loves us is to maintain
friendships and relationships despite all the imperfections.
Be the Good
Loving others also gives us the opportunity to be the hands
and feet of Jesus. We can live lives
where our fruit can impact others. Lives where we are doers of the word and not just
hearers (James 1:22).
I want my family to bear good fruit and, in doing so, learn
to look outside themselves. By creating
opportunities for good, as a family we can make a small impact in the lives of
others.
There are two ways to “be the good.”
1. Doing good in private or secret is desirable.
But when you give to
the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing so that
your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward
you. Matthew 6:3-4
2. If doing good in secret is unavoidable, then ALWAYS give God
the glory and the credit.
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
Here are some ways to be the good in someone’s life:
- Write anonymous “just because you’re great” cards
- Gift cards in small amounts (coffee, fast food, etc.)
- Baked goods to bless others (my husband makes delicious homemade bread)
- Hand-written notes or text messages to let someone know you’re thinking about them
- Cards for nursing home residents
- Family projects like raising money for or serving with various charities
- Find random acts of kindness ideas on Pinterest and let your kids pick
Remember that putting God first in your family will lead to
less selfishness and more selflessness.
My hope is that adopting this family motto and putting it into action will make seeing the good and being the good second nature in the lives of my
family members. And I hope they will
pass along this tradition and legacy to their own children.
You’re Invited
See the good; be the good will be our family motto, but our
hope is that you will join us in the pursuit of loving God and loving others. Visit this page to download some simplistic
designs to print or use as your desktop wallpaper to serve as a reminder in
your everyday life.
Will you join us in seeing the good and being the good in
your own families and communities?
