If you’re anything like me, there are things you give up on all the time. So many resolutions are made around New Year’s Day, and so many are discarded within a month of making them. Sometimes I give up on them because I realize there is a better way of doing things, or other times I realize the plans I had were just unrealistic altogether. I am enough of a visionary that I can plan for all sorts of wonderful changes, but the details of actually doing them can make me realize they aren’t happening.
There are some of you who are looking at the year past and measuring all the places you gave up, and all the reasons you should continue to give up this year. Perhaps you had significant loss like a divorce or a death this last year and the future looks bleak to find your new normal. Or maybe you don’t like the life you have up to this point but can’t see a way to change it. Some even believe they’ve failed out and should just give up completely on life because it doesn’t look the way they planned.
Here's the newsflash: God doesn’t give up on you.
Let me repeat that for those who want to protest. God doesn’t give up on you.
No matter what you’ve done or not done in the past year or years, no matter how much you feel you’ve failed and no matter what hopelessness you face moving forward—He has not given up on you. He continues to pursue you, moving through the hard things and the good to remind you of His incredible love for you.
You may want to measure your life by your “productivity” and feel you are lacking. God measures you by a standard that you hit every time—apart from Me you can do nothing. (John 15:5) You don’t have to produce or perform for Him. He loves you because you are His child, not for how useful you are or how many boxes you’ve ticked in terms of rules or production.
You might look at the last year or so and realize how selfish you’ve been. You may not have seen other people as anything more than pawns to make yourself feel better. Or at least attempt to do so. Perhaps you’ve done a lot of things you regret and that make you think you’ve finally surpassed God’s grace. But you haven’t—you can’t! He has not thrown up His hands and abandoned you. He loves you even in the middle of the mess you’ve created for yourself. Invite Him into the mess and start again.
You can not surpass His love with your mistakes, your pain, your regret or your self-righteousness. He doesn’t want your performance. He wants your love, your relationship. And all this other stuff is just attempting to fill the intimacy that you can only have with Him.
So, come to Him. Lay all of it before Him. And walk forward in the confidence of one who is loved deeply by One who does not change. Your new year does not have to be one of further overcommitment to try to gain love or of further torturing of yourself or those around you. You can rest. Come to Him. Rest in Him. Jesus has not given up on you.
Are you weary, carrying a heavy burden? Then come to me. I will refresh your life, for I am your oasis. Simply join your life with mine. Learn my ways and you’ll discover that I’m gentle, humble, easy to please. You will find refreshment and rest in me. For all that I require of you will be pleasant and easy to bear.” Matthew 11:28-30 TPT