Resolution Problems

I was thinking yesterday about New Year's Resolutions. Why is it that we often fail to achieve our goals for the year? Is it lack of discipline? Is it lack of faith? Is it lack of motivation?

My son in law cracks me up with his New Year's Resolutions. Every year he begins a Lenten-style fast from something. One year it was chocolate and he vowed not to eat or drink anything with chocolate, even the smallest hint of it! And except for one inadvertant indulgence of a coffee drink that he didn't realize had just a bit of the stuff, he succeeded. For him this is a time of personal discipline, to overcome the cravings of the body and soul. It's what the Lenten fast is really all about, he just takes it to the extreme. But it has some great benefits as many of us lack discipline which is why we so often fail.

I don't have the desire to give up something like this through the year. It' not what New Year's Resolutions are for, but personal change is. It's about meeting goals, doing something different, changing the future, changing our destiny.

Sure there are a lot of reasons why we fail, but the one that seems to plague most of us is simple, we expect a different outcome this year but won't do things differently.

You know that is one definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over expecting different results!

Yes, we often go into a new year with new expectations but not significant changes. Yet New Year's Resolutions usually require some change to our behavior, our outlook, our activity......in order to achieve different results by the end of the year.

It's the very same thing with our life of faith. Repentance is this practice, turning around, facing the other direction, walking a new way, towards Christ! But our life of faith will never grow or change without this specific and intentional action on our part. No one can do it for us.

Growing in faith, learning to pray, understanding the Bible, meeting new goals and resolutions for this year takes one simple thing to make them successful...

...Our success really depends on us doing something...different.

Peace ><>pc