With Christmas over we can begin to look forward to God’s gift of a brand-new year.  Lots of us write lists of resolutions that we hope will give us a fresh start in the New Year.

This year there was a book of quotations under my Christmas tree. One of these pithy phrases, in the chapter called “Words to Live By”, stood out as though printed in bold type. This string of ten two-letter words  stood out from the rest:

 If it is to be, it is up to me.

As a Christian, I believe it is really all up to God, yet I know that he uses individuals to bring about his will and that when we are not attuned to his leading or are unwilling to respond we deny ourselves blessings.

God’s will most definitely will be done regardless of any human intervention, but he wants us to share in his perfect plan and experience every joy he has for us.

In that light, I see this quotation as a reminder to be available, willing and sensitive to God’s leading.

Has God given you a dream for women’s ministry or for your church? Perhaps he has inspired you to grow in some new direction of service in his name. God often speaks to his children in this way. If some idle notion comes into your head that would advance the kingdom if put into practice, it just may be God’s way of presenting you with an opportunity to share the joy.

With that in mind, I am going to try to respond when God uses my own observations, insights and hopes to invite me into the work of the kingdom by reminding myself that if it (the dream) is to be (a reality), it is up to me (to respond to God’s leading). 

In 2010 I encourage you, as a woman destined for God’s purpose, to pray as if everything depends upon God and work as if everything depends upon you.

This could be a very exciting year.