Happy New Year! I can’t believe it’s already 2014. I feel like it was just yesterday that I was writing out my list of goals and dreams for 2013. It’s crazy how fast this year has gone by. I will say though, it feels like forever since I’ve blogged. It actually feels a little weird writing this right now. Haha! It’s good to be back though!
I’ve gone back and forth on what to write for my new years post this year. I’ve ended 2013 feeling so restless. Don’t get me wrong, 2013 was a big year for Ruth Eileen Photography. I’ve got a list of things that I accomplished this year. I crossed multiple things off my goals list and even did some things that I didn’t imagine myself doing. 2013 was a big year for my business. But this list of accomplishments really doesn’t matter if I’ve lost track of what matters most to me.
Can I be honest and really vulnerable with y’all? I didn’t do a whole lot in my personal life in 2013. In 2013 I chose to pour SO much into my business that I forgot what matters most to me. I busied myself with so much work that I forgot about myself.
So this year I’m choosing one word. Instead of a long list of goals for myself this year, I’m choosing to let one word take over that list. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think there is anything wrong with setting goals for yourself. I’m all about goal setting. But for me this past year, I didn’t find a balance between those goals for my business and the goals for my personal life. I lost track of why I’m a photographer and got caught up in the achievements of it. I got too caught up in the success of being a photographer instead of doing it for the love of being a photographer.
My word for 2014.
– I want to rest in the finished work of God.
– I want to rest from the pursuit of success.
– I want to rest from the busyness of life… always feeling the need to go, go, go.
– I want to rest and be still before The Lord so that I can hear from him.
– I want to rest from social media.
– I want to rest from feeling discontent with all that I have.
– I want to rest in the acceptance of God.
Hebrews 4:10 says “for whoever had entered God’s rest has also rest from his works as God did from his.” Which basically says, God is calling us to rest from our efforts of acceptance from God. Instead, rest in the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is what Jesus did on the cross for us. It is finished. There is no work for us to do to gain our acceptance from God. He is just calling us to rest.
Then verse 11 says, “Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.” This is the hard part. We must fight for this sort of rest. Yes, I believe in my head that I don’t earn my acceptance from God by my works but in my heart I’m not believing it. Because if I was, I wouldn’t be filling my schedule to the brim and running around like a frantic person to get my to-do list done. The reason for my frantic schedule this past year was because I was frantic in my relationship with God. I wasn’t resting in the finished work of God for me.
I know that life gets busy sometimes. I understand that seasons come where you become busy. I get that and I know that won’t change. I just want 2014 to be the year that I don’t lose site of what matters most to me. Even during those busy seasons.
So here’s to a new year! A new start, and God’s abounding grace for us all! I’m so thankful for God’s grace and that the work is finished for me. I just get to rest in his love and acceptance for me. What a beautiful thing that is and what a great way to start 2014, with that reminder!
