New Year's Resolutions?

"Break up your unplowed ground, and do not sow among thorns" (Jer 4:3)

    As we end 2010 and begin 2011 it is a good time for reassessment.  Every year after Christmas, I ask myself if I have grown spiritually.  I try to add things to my life that will help me grow throughout the next year.  Is my life producing something of value to God?  How much "unplowed ground" do I have that ought to be broken up in this coming year and made useful?  The week after Christmas is a good time for reassessment.  New Year's Day is an excellent time for corrections.  If we fail to plan (as the old saying goes) then we plan to fail.  Spiritual resolutions fail just as often as the non-spiritual resolutions, because there is no magical power in a New Year’s resolution.  Resolving to start or stop doing a certain activity has no value unless you have the proper motivation.

    Years ago, I replaced resolutions with adopting a Bible passage.  One I needed to add to my life. I started with the first four words of the Bible.  "In the beginning God."  Whenever something entered my life, or if there was a decision to make,  I remembered those words and took it to God first.  Whether leaving my job or taking on a responsibility, I needed to realize my life no longer belonged to myself.  It had been bought back out of sin (redeemed) by the precious blood of Christ.  The following year, I was ready for another passage.  It took two years to add Philippians 4:6-7 to my life.  The first year was only partially successful, so it was continued until it became a way of life.

    This year I encourage you to evaluate your Christian life, and strive to make it even  better in the coming year.  If you do not know Jesus on a "personal" basis, there's no better time to surrender your life to Him.