Rethinking New Year’s Resolutions

By James H. Pence –

New Year’s resolutions. Most of us make them. Or at least we think about making them. Maybe we need to lose weight, exercise more, get out of debt, or read the Bible through. The New Year often gets us in evaluation mode. We examine our lives with a view to being better people.

Unfortunately, more often than not we break our resolutions before January ends. We sink back into long-established habit patterns, and in the end our resolutions are forgotten until the next year. Then we begin the process all over again. This has led some people to think about abandoning the idea of New Year’s resolutions altogether. It’s not that resolutions are bad, but if we repeatedly make them only to break them, they become discouraging and self-defeating.

I’d like to suggest a different approach to resolutions. It was exemplified over 200 years ago by the great pastor-theologian Jonathan Edwards. Early in his life and ministry Edwards made seventy lifelong resolutions. His resolutions are inspiring and challenging, even if some of them are a bit daunting.

Here are a few:

• Resolution #5: Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.
• Resolution #7: Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.
• Resolution #69: Resolved, always to do that, which I shall wish I had done when I see others do it.

What is it about Edwards’ resolutions that make them significant? Most New Year’s resolutions tend to be “me-centered.” Jonathan Edwards’ resolutions were God-centered. Personal commitments—made one time—with God’s glory in view. How did he manage to keep them and especially to keep from forgetting them? The answer is found just before the first resolution:

“Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God’s help, I do humbly entreat him by his grace to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ’s sake. Remember to read over these Resolutions once a week.” (Emphasis added.)

Whether or not you make New Year’s resolutions, take Edwards’ example to heart. We should all regularly resolve to live to the glory of God; however that plays out in our daily life. May all the resolutions in our lives be God-centered.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, grant that I might not make meaningless resolutions this year. By the power of Your Holy Spirit please enable me to resolve daily to live for Your glory.

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (I Corinthians 10:31 NIV).

Today’s devotion is by James H. Pence. James is an author, speaker, singer, and gospel chalk artist, but prefers to be known as a storyteller. To learn more about James and how he draws the stories of your heart, visit his Web site at: www.jamespence.com.

The Road Less Traveled

By Cheri Cowell –

Whether we call them New Year’s resolutions or simply think of them as plans for the start of a new year, many of us choose new paths this time of year. When choosing a path forward we can follow the road less traveled, but if we are honest, most of us prefer the path of relative ease. Crowded and filled with familiarity, this road appears to go where we want to go, after-all “everyone” is on it. One look at the commercials this time of year and we know this crowded thoroughfare—buy this product or that and you’ll look younger, feel smarter, reach your dreams. You can have it all, they scream, if only you… Songs are made to glorify this super-highway and books tempt us with stories of its fulfillment. However, once lulled by its smooth surface, we find little truth in its travel brochures. The grass isn’t greener on the other side—weeds still grow there, too.

The lesson is clear: be sure you are not fooled by their flashy advertisements. The road less traveled, the more difficult way is the true path to fulfillment. This familiar passage in Matthew speaks of this narrow way, but separated from the next passage we don’t know how to find this road and will easily fall prey to deceptive advertising. So, what is this big secret? Simple. Look at the fruit. Jesus asks, “Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?” The road less traveled might be less crowded, but those who’ve found it will have the life those on the other paths only dream of.

PRAYER: Thank You for being the Gate through which the road less traveled passes. Help me to be aware of false advertising, and to resist the lull of the path of relative ease.

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (Matthew 7:13-14, 15-20 NIV).

Today’s devotion is by Cheri Cowell, author of Direction: Discernment for the Decisions of Your Life, a great book for those looking for a guide on the road less traveled. Visit her website at http://www.CheriCowell.com

Caught in a Blizzard

By Carin LeRoy –

It doesn’t take long for life to take a turn for the worst. On a recent vacation, everything was going smoothly—the flight, the car rental, and the five-hour drive to the Colorado Mountains. We’d heard a blizzard was on the way, but hoped to reach the cabin before dark. The weather was great, and we were making good time. However, the last 15 miles of the trip the weather moved in fast, and we landed in the middle of a blizzard. On the final drive up the steep mountain road, the wheels spun and the car refused to go. All efforts to move proved futile. We were stuck in a snowstorm.

Finally, my husband said, “We’ll have to walk.”

“What? Are you kidding me? Walk in a blizzard?” I asked. Suddenly, my home in the Florida sunshine seemed way better than this. With no other option, the three of us bundled up and started walking, even though we had no clue where we were headed. With my husband leading the way, he turned onto the first drive he found.

“How do you know this is right?” I asked as he moved ahead without hearing me.

Not wanting to be left behind, I followed…and followed. The altitude of 9,000 feet sucked all air from my lungs as my body screamed to breathe. I trudged up the hill at a Grandma Moses pace while my husband and son marched ahead. We walked what seemed an eternity with nothing but trees and snow in sight. Praying, I hoped we would not end up lost in a blizzard. Finally, a dimly lit house came into view. Slogging through the last of the snow, I reached the front door and pulled the key from my purse. It opened, and relief was evident as we walked through the door.

Life can suddenly change. Instead of normalcy, we find ourselves caught in a huge storm of life. Scared and confused, we head into life’s unknown territory. We may even question God or wonder if we’ll survive the difficulty. All we can do is pray and follow. I am reminded of the verse in Jeremiah 17:7 that says, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him.” Although my husband wasn’t sure where he was headed in that blizzard, we can rest assured that God knows how to lead us down life’s path. Just follow.

PRAYER: Lord, when life’s storms come, help me to keep trusting, praying and following You. Keep me mindful that my confidence rests in You.

“The Lord will continually lead you; He will feed you even in parched regions. He will give you renewed strength, and you will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring that continually produces water” (Isaiah 58: 11 NET).

Today’s devotional is by Carin LeRoy, wife to Dale, mother of three grown children and one high school teenager. She has served as a missionary with PIONEERS since 1982. Her passions are family, playing and teaching piano, missions, and writing stories that show glimpses of God.

Revolutions of Resolutions

By Robin J. Steinweg –

January First circles around like a shark figure on a planet-sized carousel. The brass ring eludes me. Twenty-seven New Year’s Day journal entries reveal my redundant resolution: this is the year I conquer my arch-enemy, Paper Clutter. Twenty-seven years I have reached for but missed this particular brass ring.

You might call me an expert on organizing. After all, experts say it takes 10,000 hours of studying/working at something to become an expert (and they should know). This translates to about three hours a day for ten years. I have more than paid my dues. I’ve read a score of articles and dozens of books on the subject—some of them three and four times. Nearly twenty of these hibernate on my shelves. I even took notes. They are clearly labeled and stored in folders among random Tower-of-Pisa stacks. I could quote statistics and name the most effective methods, if I could find them.

Getting organized is not only my lifelong quest. It appears on most of the lists of Top Ten New Year’s Resolutions. One source had the nerve to say it “can be a very reasonable goal,” but gave no advice for reaching the goal. It was obviously written by someone who doesn’t suffer from C.H.A.O.S. (Can’t Have Anyone Over Syndrome).

My journal entries often include practical Bible verses to encourage me that this is a godly pursuit. God is not the author of confusion, but of order; I can do this through Christ, who strengthens me; I should forget what is behind and press on to what is ahead, to win the prize. With scripture to back me up, and the strong resolve of so many years, what is keeping that brass ring out of reach? Pogo’s words pop up: “We have met the enemy and he is us.”

If I hear and don’t act, James says it’s as though I glanced in a mirror and then walked off, forgetting what I look like. What a concept. Do what it says. Maybe I should get off the carousel and make a decision about one cluttering piece of paper at a time. And remember that with God, fresh starts and new hearts never have to wait until January First.  Maybe that brass ring is within reach after all.

QUOTE: “Resolve to renew all your old resolves and add a few that are new. Resolve to keep them as long as you can. What more can a poor man do?” (Early 1900’s postcard)

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22 and 23a NIV).

Today’s devotional is by Robin J. Steinweg. Robin’s life might be described using the game Twister: the colored dots are all occupied, limbs intertwine (hopefully not to the point of tangling), and you never know which dot the arrow will point to next, but it sure is fun getting there!

Resolving to Forgive

By Bruce Hebel –

Every year at this time people all over the world are taking life assessments and looking for ways to improve themselves in the coming year. We call this “making a New Year’s resolution.” A New Year’s resolution is a commitment an individual makes to a lifestyle change for the better. It often involves breaking a bad habit or starting a good one. Every Top 10 List of resolutions includes losing weight. Pay attention over the next few days to the morning shows and magazines at the checkout. Everywhere you look you will see people claiming to have a surefire way to help you lose weight and keep it off. It just makes sense. After Thanksgiving, the Christmas parties, cookie exchanges and all those Christmas goodies at Grandma’s, most of us have mid-sections that bear more resemblance to a barrel than a six-pack.

Let me suggest that there’s different type of weight we need to lose which doesn’t show up in larger belt sizes or groaning scales. I’m talking about the weight of old wounds we have not forgiven. Unforgiveness weighs us down and wears us out. This type of heaviness is much more harmful to us than the kind we get from that second helping of Blue Bell ice cream. Unforgiveness, according to Matthew 18, leads to the heavy burden of torment. Forgiveness takes the weight off.

Recently I helped a lady walk through the protocols of forgiveness toward her ex-husband who had cheated on her and abandoned her many years before. After she chose to forgive and sealed her forgiveness by praying a blessing over him, she said to me “I feel like I can exhale for the first time in years. My heart is so much lighter. I can feel it relaxing.” We have helped hundreds of people make the choice to forgive wounds, which in some cases, were almost unbearable. Every time someone has made a commitment to forgive, they have proclaimed that their heart is lighter and they can breathe again.

So let me recommend a New Year’s resolution for you. Ask God if there is someone you need to forgive and for what. Then choose to forgive them. When you do, you will experience the quickest weight-loss of your life.

AUTHOR QUOTE: God expects forgiven people to forgive others!

“And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins” (Mark 11:25 NIV).

Today’s devotional is by Bruce Hebel, President of Regenerating Life Ministries (forgiving forward.com) and Adjunct Professor at Carver Bible College. Bruce is the author of the seminar and soon to be published book Forgiving Forward: Unleashing the Forgiveness Revolution. He is a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary and, along with his wife Toni, has served in church ministry for over 35 years.

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