tapiocapuddin

I have never been a New Year's resolution kind of girl. In my mind, making goals to work towards should occur all year round, not just at the beginning of the year. But I've had a change of heart. Kind of. Brett, at The Rebelution, posted his resolutions from 2005, and my reaction to them was "whoa, talk about aiming high!" Instead of a list of things to do and avoid for a year, they were more like lifelong goals to work towards your whole life--no matter what!

While one can make many resolutions for a lifetime, there is a quality difference in Brett's list. Many of his resolutions are followed by Bible verses, and all are based on biblical principles. Isn't that interesting? A Christian basing his goals on biblical truth... For those who say they're just going to follow the Bible, no resolutions needed, a list like Brett's is concise and easier to post on the wall. It's something you can have in front of you throughout the year as a reminder and a motivator.

I also see the value in doing this at the beginning of the year. With school starting up again and friends going back to work and college, it's really easy to start focusing on the day to day. My preoccupation becomes just getting through another bundle of homework. So while I may end the year on the right foot, it suddenly switches to the left foot as the weeks progress. The Bible tells us over and over again to meditate on His word and to obey it.

So while I'm still not making lists of foods to avoid and deadlines to meet, I am honestly looking at my life and seeing all that needs work--a lot! But it's all possible and only possible through Christ! My conclusion is now that since resolutions to follow Christ are needed, why not at New Years? :-)

“Will the young woman find a mate? Will the couple have a child? Maybe this year will be the year of desire fulfilled. Perhaps, on the other hand, it will be the year of desire radically transformed, the year of finding, as we have perhaps not yet truly found, Christ to be the All-Sufficient One, Christ the ‘deep sweet well of Love'" -Elisabeth Elliot

Another good post about focusing your year on Christ can be found at Girl Talk. There Nicole Whitacre expounds on Elisabeth Elliot's wise insight for the New Year.