The New Year and its Resolutions

Every year millions of people make New Year's Resolutions in the hope of improving themselves.

Intentions are good, hopes are high and off they go. They plan to follow a daily Bible reading programme, or promise to do less of this and be better at that. Yet, by the time the second month, or in some cases even the second week comes around, those resolutions are all but forgotten!

Diet programmes normally fall by the wayside first. Others follow soon.

However, have you ever thought about those pesky resolutions? Many or perhaps most of those resolutions can be classified under "The Idiots Guide to Self-Help Programs." Many resolutions are selfish resolutions. Resolutions that merely work as self-help programs. Those are perhaps good, since we get an improvement to ourselves, and I am not saying that we should not make those resolutions at all!

How many times do we make resolutions that will make an impact for the kingdom of God? How many resolutions will bring glory to God? Many of the self-help resolutions tend to make us look good thereby heaping praise on ourselves! "Wow! You have lost so much weight! You must have a will of steel!" "You're going to read how many books this year! I wish I could read as fast as you do!"

I am sure many of you have heard of The Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards! Here was a man that wanted to bring glory to God and wanted to further the kingdom of God! Consider his resolutions and see if there aren't any that you would perhaps like to follow. I have to warn you, many of them aren't easy! On paper it may look easy, but in practice it isn't! Don't try to follow all his resolutions in one year. Edwards built this list over his life span.

So, may this be a challenge to make God-honouring resolutions. Resolutions that point to God and not to self!