New
Year’s Resolutions
Sin
is first pleasing, then it grows easy, then delightful, then frequent, then
habitual, then confirmed; then the man is impenitent, then he is obstinate,
then he is resolved never to repent, and then he is ruined. Robert Leighton
Do
you have a New Year’s resolution? When
we decide on a resolution for the New Year we are basically deciding on a
course of action for the upcoming year.
Why do we set resolutions anyway?
Maybe it is because we are disappointed in how the last year turned out
or we want to improve on it.
The
following are the top 10 most commonly broken resolutions:
1. Lose Weight and Get Fit
2. Quit Smoking
3. Learn Something New
4. Eat Healthier and Diet
5. Get Out of Debt and Save Money
6. Spend More Time with Family
7. Travel to New Places
8. Be Less Stressed
9. Volunteer
10. Drink Less
As I
looked at this list it struck me at how many of these resolutions, if they
weren’t broken, have the potential to draw us closer to our Heavenly
Father. If we were to follow through
with 1 & 4 by losing weight, getting fit, eating healthier and dieting,
we would be honoring the body that God created.
If we completed 2, 5 & 10 by quitting
smoking, drinking less and getting out of debt, we would knock out
a lot of the problems in our life which would lead to number 8, be less stressed. One of the reasons we do number 2, 5 & 10
is because we are stressed. What if we
kept resolution number 6, spending more
time with family? How many of us can’t remember the last time we sat down
to dinner with our family without cell phones or electronic devices. I actually went to a restaurant and watched a
family of 4 never speak to each other or even look up from their phones. How
about number 3, learn something new? Wouldn’t it be something to actually get to
know your teenager or parent? What about
taking number 4 & 5, volunteering
and traveling to new places, and combining them? What would happen if we all volunteered and
served meals to the homeless?
When
we set resolutions our first priority should be to honor God. I’m not suggesting that we tackle all of
these at once, I mean it took me 52 years to get this messed up, so I am not going
to get over my messed-up-ness overnight.
Pick one of the 10 most commonly broken resolutions and honor God with
it. You will be amazed at the blessings
you will get in return.
Prayer for the Day:
Heavenly Father, I am guilty of setting resolutions and then breaking
them. I am also guilty of making
resolutions that are purely selfish.
Help me to start this New Year with purpose. I want to love you and my family more, give
up the things in my life that are stressful, quit doing the things that are
harmful to me such as not eating right or not exercising. I resolve to spend more time with You. Every answer I will ever need about leading a
God honoring life are in Your written Word.
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