Your Promise for 2021

What kind of Christmas traditions do you have in your family to keep Jesus in the forefront of your celebration? One thing our family does is our “Happy Birthday Jesus Box.” It is just a decorative cardboard box that says “Happy Birthday Jesus” on the front. What we do with it is similar to making a New Year’s Resolution. We do it as a family, but it is a private matter that nobody else sees. We think about what God is speaking to us about in our walk with Him and what we might like to do better for the upcoming year. It is basically our gift to Him, our desire to be obedient in what He is leading us to. An example may be to spend more time in prayer or Bible study. It may be to devote more time to ministry or improve in an area of struggle. We write it on an index card, seal it up, and place it in the box. The following year, we take out our previous year’s envelope and decide if we kept our promise to Jesus for that year. Some years I have been happy about my progress. Some years I could have done better.

When the kids were little, we had to help them with this. The entries were amusing, such as not annoying the cat or fighting with a sister. With maturity has come deeper goals. But the tradition has always been a part of our family Christmas celebration. One year I promised to reconnect with an estranged family member. I was obedient, and God miraculously made it happen. Last year I promised to step out in faith with my writing. This blog is part of that promise.

There have been some promises I made to God that I have broken. I am grateful for His grace to give me new mercies every morning. The sweetest thing about it is that no matter how many promises to Him I fail to keep, God always keeps His promises to me. What a sweet reminder in reading the Christmas story that God blesses us when we believe His promises! Luke 1:45 says of Mary, “Blessed is she who believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

Believe with me for this upcoming year in the promises that God is fulfilling in your life. And while you’re at it, think about what promises you can make to Him for 2021. This is your gift of obedience. Your heart of love and obedience is the gift He most desires.