This week the kids and I have been studying the biblical account of Moses. It is evident that from his infancy God had a mission for this individual, although the details are not revealed until well into the middle of his lifetime. But what stood out the most to me in this particular reading is that after God told Moses to go back to Egypt, God also told him EXACTLY what to say – word for word! And what was even more profound to me is that it all began with God’s Name, the essence of His very nature.

There are many convicting details in this chapter, such as how Moses shrunk back from God’s call upon His life, even after being given the words to speak and told the successful outcome of his mission (that may be another blog for another day), but my takeaway from this main point is that everything I do should begin with God. (Why, even the Bible itself BEGINS with God!) I don’t know about you, but my first thoughts of the day rarely jump to Jesus. They are often about how tired I still feel or what needs to get accomplished before I go back to bed that night. My resolutions for the new year tend to revolve around me, myself and I; my routines tend to focus on what keeps my life running smoothly. These aren’t wrong in and of themselves; they are all human struggles. We get busy, tired and aware of ourselves because that is just how life goes. But it’s good to be reminded of Who should be our focal point each day.

Some of you may not be New Year’s resolutions kind of people like I am. And for those of you who make resolutions like I do, if you drop the ball on some of them and your year kicks off with a shaky start, it doesn’t mean your entire year is doomed. However, I think January is an excellent time to recenter our focus on I AM WHO I AM.  Gaining or losing poundage, getting our kids on a fantastic nap schedule (or not), or growing our businesses allpale in comparison to the majesty of the God whose name lasts FOREVER.

As Julie Andrews so poetically sings, “Let’s start at the very beginning/A very good place to start,” let’s begin this brand new year by asking ourselves the question, “Am I allowing the temporal struggles of life to overshadow the eternal truth of the gospel?” (A question inspired by Gloria Furman’s Treasuring Christ When Your Hands are Full.)