New Year New Goals

Happy New Year Faithphilly Fam,

I know we are well into January, and this greeting has expired, however; I’m saying it anyway. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! Now I’ve been hearing a lot of y’all saying 2023 is your year, but the truth is….IT’S MINE. This year, unlike many years previously, I am confident in this. Well really, I’m confident in my conversations with God and the daily downloads I am receiving. I’ve been rising at 5am to meet God early, and in that time he has been given me new vision. He is giving me the blue print and the foundation for my year of success. But as I anticipate one of the most successful, life changing, miraculous years of my life, I can’t help but hear the little voice whispering “Girl, don’t get your hopes up” or “The only thing new is the date”. It’s not that I have deemed myself unworthy. It’s not that I don’t believe what God has told me, nor that I don’t trust His process. Instead, it’s my own unhealed trauma from the past that is keeping me paralyzed in my future.

At the end of last year, I wanted to prepare for 2023 by setting my new year goals and resolutions, as well as create my vision board. But every time I tried to begin, something stopped me. It wasn’t until I was listening to a podcast where the host said “What’s the point of making those new years resolutions if you’re not going to follow through until you obtain your goal?” It was then that I realized I needed to have a chat with God. I needed to make sure my new years goals aligned with his goals for me. There was no point in writing out my goals if I didn’t have the staying power to reach the goal. And the only way I’m going to have the power was if I reply on God and not myself.

As I began to fast, pray and read my word, I realized God didn’t want me to add things on my board that would shift my outward appearance. He wanted me to write down goals that would shift my inward image, my personality and my character. I felt a strong sense of conviction to address my shortcomings. Well really God woke me up every morning for 7 days and constantly discussed my toxic traits. I would wake up and God would get to talking and I was like “Sheesh God…again?!?…Like for real God why are we still here??”. Now I know i’m FAAAAARRR from perfect, however I try my best to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord. Do I always succeed? NOPE, NOT AT ALL. And could I do better? Absolutely. But when God started giving me revelations about the root of my shortcomings…BABY! I realized the depths of my trauma. Y’all he cut the kid UP. It was what I imagine the grown men getting circumcised by Moses must’ve felt like….groans, moans, screams and all. Very much uncomfortable, very much difficult to hear, and it was definitely giving bruised ego. It was painful because God revealed to me that it is the basic things like anger, unforgiving, resentment, gossiping, and criticizing that are stains from my childhood. Stain that I have yet to give to Him to wash away. But God has made it very clear that this is the season that He is requiring me to give them to Him.

I remember one morning when I was back to thinking about my resolutions to lose some weight, God said “Christine (that’s what he calls me when he’s being serious) it doesn’t matter how much weight you want to lose, if your spiritual baggage is heavy and weighs you down. He reminded me that my physical appearance is fleeting (and He’s right bc it definitely fled during my pregnancies). Instead it matters to God how I appear when no one can see me BUT God. He reminded me that He GAVE his only begotten son as an example. Which means when I’m struggling and when I’m not, I must ask God to cleanse my heart, body, mind and spirit. In order to do that, prayer must be my daily practice. Reading my bible must be my custom. Asking, seeking, knocking must be my pattern. Fasting must be apart of my routine. Praise and Worship must be how I communicate.

Im currently on a 40 day fast and prayer challenge. In my time God is continuing to pour into me about plans for my future. But I would have never gotten these downloads if I hadn’t of asked God if my will was aligned with His will. So my beloved Faithphilled Friends I urge you to do the same. Have a talk with God. Re-evaluate your New Years Resolutions. Don’t just look at them but ask God to give you revelation about them. Ask Him if they are in His will for your life because there’s no sense is starting off another year the same old way.

Until Next Time My Faithphilled Family,

Amanda Christine