new year's resolutions

I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. (Philippians 3:13-14)

Okay. So you are going to make your New Year’s Resolutions. You want to be better this year so what are you going to do?

There are those who say they make no resolutions. But resolutions are good and have a place in your life. When you make them, you are saying that you want to be better.

You can get goofy with them, of course. Resolving to lose 125 pounds in 2012, or becoming fluent in Russian or becoming independently wealthy or going to live in the space station. There are some things you probably will not do.

But really, resolutions are your own desire to be better. And you need them.

Otherwise you are just floating along through life with no real destination, no course charted.

You need some direction.

This year I want to accomplish these things:

1. I want to fast and pray more. Back when I fasted regularly, I had a better relationship with God in most ways. I want that again and I need his direction in my life. Fasting is not easy, but there is great power in it.

2. I need to get back in shape. I have really let myself go and need to feel better. I know I will never be the bull I was when I was younger (back when I could pick up refrigerators, tear telephone books in half, jump over tall buildings, etc) (I did see a t-shirt once that said, “The older I get, the better I was”) but I can still be an effective servant of God physically.

3. I need to read more good stuff. I tend to read a lot of books anyway, but here lately, I have gotten into a western kick and have read a lot of Louis L’Amours and stuff like that. I need to read better things, things that build me mentally.

4. I need to dump some things that have happened to me and re-find my ministry. It took an odd turn this year and I still feel the draw of God as a pastor. I am going to have to find what God wants this year. He has called me. now I have to listen.

Join me. if you are interested in fasting with me, tell me. We can have an online prayer and fasting time.

But you have a chance to be better. And you need to take it. Press on in 2012 and know God more.

daily java

Daily Java: 

All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (Romans 3:23-24)

The new year is only a week old and already showing its age.

How many resolutions did you break already. Why did you even bother?

There is actually a good reason for bothering. It is the innate nature of humanity to try to be better. That is one reason why colleges exist, why people want promotions, why people play sports, why they do almost everything.

We are not happy with things standing still. Most people, if they own a house, keep on fixing it up through the years, making it nicer. On a pretty day, you will see people washing and waxing their cars, wanting them to look better. Go to the mall and there are a whole bunch of people who just want to look better, more stylish.

It is no wonder that we sit down every January 1 with pen in hand and try to figure out ways to become  better. It is our nature to do so.

But, it is also our nature to fail. It is a glitch in the machinery. It showed up first when Adam and Eve disobeyed the one command God gave them. One thing wrong and they had to mess it up for everybody else.

So it is also no wonder that after we have sat down on January 1 and wrote a bunch of high sounding stuff down to make ourselves better that by January 2 we have already broken 16 of them. All of our good intentions, it seems, down the toilet.

But not really. As long as we try, that is the point. The writing of the stuff down seems a bit foolish, but we need to do it.

As I wrote last week we need to work at forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, and then we can press on toward the goal. (Philippians 3:12-14)

The goal will not attain itself. We have to do something. God will not drop holiness down on us like a net over a gorilla. It is a reciprocal thing. After all he created us for good works (Ephesians 2:10).

When we try better, we will win. He will help us win.

We may not lose 175 pounds this year or work toward a marathon or even write that set of commentaries. We have trouble losing ten pounds.

But with him, all things are possible (Mark 9:23)

Even getting rid of procrastination in my life. I will do that this year if I can get around to it.
 

daily java

Daily Java:  

Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13-14)

The guilt trip section of the year is upon us, the time of New Year’s Resolutions. This is the time of year we promise ourselves and sometimes others to do things throughout the year that we know we will probably fail at.

You know how it is. We promise to make ourselves better this year. By year’s end we will be speaking Urdu fluently, we will lose 174 pounds, we will be able to bench press 350 pounds, we will read the entire set of Great Books of the Western World, we will get out doctorate, we will bring 100 people to Jesus, we will read the Bible through 12 times, we will be instrumental in ushering in an era of world peace and will run for president in 2012.

Little stuff like that.

And when we make our New Year’s Resolutions so massively, is it any wonder that by January 4th, we have already broken most of them.

So what do we do? Ignore the whole season of making ourselves better?

Micah, the Old Testament prophet, had the right idea. In Micah 6:8, he wrote: He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

That seems pretty simple. To act like you are supposed to act, to love like you are supposed to love, and to live like you are supposed to live. Nothing to it, really. Right?

Of course, as long as the Spirit resides within you, it is possible. It isn’t something, though, that you are going to sit down and decide to do on your own. On your own, you sin and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). With God, however, all things are possible (Mark 9:23).

Most of our resolutions are well-meaning, and we can really see ourselves keeping them and becoming better. But the only ones that matter, the only ones that will last, are the ones that glorify God.

Forget the past. Last year is gone – and I, for one, am glad – and there is nothing you can do to reclaim it or make it different. Life is fast and short, and the end comes quickly. So do something useful and make yourself like God wants: just, loving mercy and humble.

Those are real resolutions.

You will never need Urdu anyway, so go ahead and cross that one off.
 

my new year's resolutions

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:12-14)

My New Year’s Resolutions

At the risk of looking foolish, here is what I hope to accomplish this next  year.

1. I plan to lose 50 pounds. This will be accomplished several ways:
    First I intend to go back on the low carb diet, the only diet that has ever worked for me.
    Second I am going to begin exercising. I bought some exercise videos at Goodwill the other day and am going to use them.
    Third, I am going to begin walking again.

2. I intend to fast once a week at least. Probably the day will be Monday.

3. I plan to begin praying at length daily. I am going to open myself daily to the will of God and listen for a period of time daily for his voice.

4. I intend to start dressing better. I have gotten rather slob-like in my appearance and need to change. Of course, this is not a dress up church. However, I am going to start dressing better.

5. I plan to read the Bible completely through this year.

6. I plan to begin a book that I have been talking about for years.

7. I am going to make my preaching stronger, both in the word and in commitment.


8. I plan to keep in touch more strongly with my family.

By the grace of God and with his help, these things will be accomplished.