Almost as easily destroyed as those pie crust promises,
resolutions are made and then ignored with a thousand reasonable
justifications, at least reasonable to us. Good intentions make for positive
resolutions, but just like the soils of Jesus’ parable in Matthew 13, only the
right situations seem to allow us to fulfill what we so bravely announced we
planned to do. We are confident today, but then comes tomorrow.
I am sure there must be a patron saint of broken
resolutions. He or she would have a heart full of compassion and understanding.
The saint would be patient and ready to offer a second, third, fourth, or as
many additional chances as would be needed to put the resolution back into
effect. I look back at my history with resolutions and see that I have need of
such a saint.
Resolutions can be the desire to do something different that
is very simple in this new year. It could be reading a magazine through each
month. It could be reading a book on a new subject sometime during the year. It
could be limiting soft drinks to one twelve ounce can a day. It could be
remembering to take a Bible to church each time you attend.
Then there are those life transforming resolutions. These
might fit into what Jim Collins calls in his book, Good to Great, BHAGs – Big Hairy Audacious Goals! These are the
kinds that include things like determining to go to church most Sundays or
establishing a daily private devotion time of thirty minutes. Here we find
resolutions that involve losing five pounds a month for the year or reading two
books a month or writing an autobiography. BHAG type resolutions include
learning a foreign language, volunteering for two hours a week as a middle
school tutor, or working as a hospital volunteer.
How will you be guided in making any resolutions for 2013?
Michael Hyatt says that one of the great determinants in being successful in
finding success is staying focused on the “why”. Why is this goal important?
What lasting benefits will come out of my efforts if I refuse to quit? Keeping
our attention on the results rather than the needed efforts will go a long way
toward helping us fulfill our resolutions.
That leads to the point of why make resolutions at all. That
patron saint might ask us that important question. She would follow that up
with questions like can you see the benefit of the results, do you understand
what follow through will demand, do you believe the sacrifice is worth the
results, or will you use what you gain to help others. The more benefits we see
the more likely we will be to stick with our resolutions.
The more people whom the resolution will benefit the
more often we will work at staying with it. May I suggest a few resolutions that can
have extensive benefits for a large and perhaps growing number of people
through a ripple effect?
- · Do to others what you would want others to do to you (Matthew 7:12)
- · Live a life that is noble and is a reflection of the nature of Christ (Romans 12:9-21)
- · Be kind to others, forgiving others (Ephesians 4:32)
- · Do all things without grumbling (Philippians 2:14)
- · Whatever your task, work heartily, as for the Lord and not men (Colossians 3:23)
Resolutions are goals. May we set goals for 2013 that are
worth seeking even if we fail and life transforming as we offer our best
efforts to succeed.
