His belief in our resolutions
“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” John 13:34
Our paper napkins, plastic forks and dinner “to go” spills across the table. Anticipation mounts. The countdown is on. We sit in the nucleus of our little world (the kitchen) staring at the world’s symbol for a new year – and watch it drop.
In those final seconds, we each grab a colored marker and sign our aim for 2017 with a singular word. The white page turns rainbow as we pen our picked weakness … opportunity … resolution.
It’s been interesting to observe the evolution of words year by year. Each family member picks just one – and yet that one word says so much. An individual word represents the individual’s hardships and hope for improvement.
So there they sit on paper: our goals. They’re out there – posted and published and in our own penmanship. Now comes the hard part – transitioning goals from paper to persons.
How do I actually become that person I’d like to become? How do I help my family members stretch to their solutions?
These words ring in the New Year with answers to my questions:
“Treat people as if they were what they ought to be, and you help them to become what they are capable of being.”
– Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
In other words, treat people as if they’ve already become what they are striving to be.
Isn’t this exactly what the Redeemer taught? Christ championed change and growth. He so deeply believed His spiritual brothers and sisters could truly, permanently improve that He descended from His throne to ensure the reality of our eternal progress and potential.
His belief in others changes everything. Because of His faith in our progress, the sinner stops his sins. Love softens hearts. Light overcomes darkness. We advance, evolve and become like Him.
And once again (and always), He sets the example. Reaching our resolutions means reaching Him. Helping others stretch to their solutions, means stretching our souls to react more like our Savior. He shows us the way. He is the way.
So, in this season of solutions and re-solutions, may we act Up – let us see potential and treat others to an added measure of mercy, hope and faith.
Continue pondering while reading these scriptures:
1 Corinthians 12:12, 14 “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ … For the body is not one member, but many.”
1 John 4:19 — “We love Him because He first loved us.”
Please share: How do you treat others like the person they’re striving to be? Please share your examples and ideas!!
