. . . And a Lavish New Year

Happy New Year!  I've taken a few weeks off here, and they have been glorious.  I've really enjoyed the time with my family, and now, like so many of you, we are digging out of the snow, trying to get back to our normal routine.

Or are we?  Normal is different for everyone, and I want my normal in 2014 to be a little bit more special. 

I don't do New Year's resolutions.  They are just a societal pressure cooker that sets us up for failure.  They rarely evoke any real changes.  In fact, most of us make resolutions so vague and unreachable that we are doomed to fail and feel miserable.  What a way to begin a new year!

I do, however, love new beginnings.  They are genesis, godly.  Beginnings are God's reminder of the promise of new life, and life eternal.  I love our natural, innate tendencies to spend the last days of a year reflecting on the past and looking forward to the future, dreaming and making plans for the kinds of lives we want to lead.

Sometimes, I choose a word that I want to focus on in the new year.  A word I want to describe my actions and my life.  A word that I hope that, as I focus on implementing it into my daily life, will change not only myself but those around me.

My word for this year:  lavish.

The synonyms for this word as an adjective:  Extravagant.  Generous.  Abundant.  The dictionary definition for this word as a verb:  To expend or give in great amounts or without limit.  

This word, to me, describes God.  And that's who I want to be like.  Consider the following:


[ The God of Glory ] How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He’s the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son.  Ephesians 1:3-6

God will lavish you with good things: children from your womb, offspring from your animals, and crops from your land, the land that God promised your ancestors that he would give you. God will throw open the doors of his sky vaults and pour rain on your land on schedule and bless the work you take in hand. You will lend to many nations but you yourself won’t have to take out a loan. God will make you the head, not the tail; you’ll always be the top dog, never the bottom dog, as you obediently listen to and diligently keep the commands of God, your God, that I am commanding you today. Don’t swerve an inch to the right or left from the words that I command you today by going off following and worshiping other gods.  Deuteronomy 28:11-14

Hallelujah! Blessed man, blessed woman, who fear God, Who cherish and relish his commandments, Their children robust on the earth, And the homes of the upright—how blessed! Their houses brim with wealth And a generosity that never runs dry. Sunrise breaks through the darkness for good people— God’s grace and mercy and justice! The good person is generous and lends lavishly; No shuffling or stumbling around for this one, But a sterling and solid and lasting reputation. Unfazed by rumor and gossip, Heart ready, trusting in God, Spirit firm, unperturbed, Ever blessed, relaxed among enemies, They lavish gifts on the poor— A generosity that goes on, and on, and on. An honored life! A beautiful life! Someone wicked takes one look and rages, Blusters away but ends up speechless. There’s nothing to the dreams of the wicked. Nothing.  Psalm 112:1-10

God has lavished me with his extravagant love.  His abundant grace.  His generous presence.  How can I strive for anything less? 

I pray that I can be even a little bit like God this year.  I pray that just as I have experience his lavish gifts, I can give gifts in the same lavish nature.  Because I love Him, and I want to be just like him.