Resolutions are funny things. Lots of people make them and break them every year. People in my own family have even resolved NOT to make a resolution! The attitude there, I believe, is that resolutions are generally not kept the entire year, so why even try. I totally disagree with that line of thinking.
First of all, with God, all things are possible. What if THIS is the year that I stick with my resolutions for more than a month? I have done it in other years. Why not try again? And another adage….it doesn’t hurt to try! In fact I am better for trying. Even IF I stop focusing on resolving the issues I have set forth at the beginning of the year…if I have spent any amount of time seriously addressing these areas in my life, I have been transformed to some degree. Making a resolution is not resolving to be perfect. That is an impossible task (because we ALL fall short of the glory of God). However, as I see it, making a resolution is a step of faith. I am saying, “Okay Lord, I am serious about becoming more like Jesus and I’m resolving to set my mind on your ways.” The New Year is a great time to reset your mind on the Lord. Your heart will surely follow if it isn’t there already.
My favorite all time resolutions were made by Jonathan Edwards. I kept a copy of these in my Bible for a long time. One year, I even read the first 12 of them every day….for about a month.
I have had lots of resolutions over the years. Sometimes serious…sometimes silly. When I was pregnant with Austin, I resolved to GAIN weight! That was a fun year.
Most years my resolutions pretty much stay the same: spend more time with God and eat healthier. This year is no different. One difference this year though is that I am attaching GOALS with my resolutions this year. I have learned it’s not enough for me to tell myself that I’m going to be better at spending time with the Lord or eating healthier. I need a plan.
As for spending time with the Lord, I was deeply convicted about this last fall when I began taking college courses online. I discovered that I had TIME to read what I needed to read for my 2 classes. In order to keep up with the course work, I needed to read at least an hour a day. I quickly realized that my excuse of not having enough TIME to read my bible was quickly blown out of the water as I had carved out plenty of time to read my school work. So, my GOAL for the New Year is to spend more time in the Word and in prayer than I do each day in school. (I will be taking more classes starting on the 11th.) One of our care groups at church is reading the Bible through in a year. The leader of the group gave me a copy of the plan…so I am ready to go. I am not going to stress over it if I don’t keep up with the group. But I AM going to try.
My other “standing resolution” is to eat healthier. This has also translated over the years to “losing weight.” I have been successful many times at both of these similar resolutions, but have often failed at the second when I stopped doing the first. This year, I am trying again. My husband says that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. I guess I am insane. I have to keep trying at this one. I know it is what the Lord wants me to do. Maybe this will be the year that I finally make it to my goal weight and stay there. I have done this before so I know it is possible. I also know it is possible because as I stated above, with God all things are possible. There is always hope! I am attaching two goals to this resolution this year. The first goal is to not spend any more money on weight loss products or programs. That may seem a little contradictory, but I have spent enough money “learning” how to lose weight over the years. My weight loss library is overstocked and there is nothing new under the sun. I’m going to use what I already have and make steps toward eating with God’s leading. I will outline these steps more in the days to come. A second goal…and I can’t believe I am writing this…is to actually RUN a 5K this year!! I will share what I am doing to take steps toward this goal (and I mean actual steps) later in the blog as well. Happy New Year to all of you...and may I encourage you to make your own resolutions. Be resolved. Have FAITH.
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