Do you make New Years resolutions? Do you keep them? I've never really been big on New Year's resolutions. Not that I don't think they are needed though. To me, they usually seem silly and superficial or unattainable.
Before I get to why I am making resolutions and what they might be, I thought I'd post some information on an old Pastor from 1722, Jonathan Edwards.
Often given the title of America's greatest theologian, intellectual and philosopher, Edwards entered Yale at age 13 and graduated 4 years later as valedictorian and head of his class. He was a pastor in New England and before his death was president of the College of New Jersey, which would later become Princeton. Early in Jonathon Edwards life, around age 19, he wrote 70 resolutions. These are not so much goals to achieve, but rather areas that he had made a decision in his mind and heart to keep by God's grace, hence the term "Resolved", speaking in a past tense. I'm going to post the introduction and the first resolution on this post and the link to the others here: http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/articles/the-resolutions-of-jonathan-edwards
Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God's help, I do humbly entreat him by his grace to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ's sake.
Remember to read over these Resolutions once a week.
1. Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God's glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriad's of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many and how great soever.
I only want to point out two things from Jonathan Edwards' resolutions. First,and most obvious, he made them. Don't let this fact escape you. Second, they were both for God's glory and his own good. So many times we separate the two.
Over the next few posts in this series I hope to post some of my resolutions for 2011. First, let me state what my resolutions are not. My goal in resolutions is not to bring glory to myself, but to give glory to God.
Also, there seems to be two "ditches" that we can crash into when it comes to making plans or resolutions. The first is that "I" am my own King of the Universe and it all depends on me. When we do this we make ourselves God, taking Him off the throne and placing ourselves on the throne. I don't want you to think that I feel I'm ruling the universe and in ultimate control. This passage from James 4:13-15 speaks pretty clear in us deciding what we are doing apart from the Lord:
Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”
The second ditch is that we might say "if God is in control, then what I do doesn't matter". This fatalism approach is wrong. What we do really matters! We aren't to sit idle and do nothing. We are responsible for our actions. We are to make plans, set the pieces in play as much as we can, seek the Lord's direction and leave the results to Him. We are responsible for our actions and will have to give an account for them. More than that though we are responsible for our thoughts and motives as well.
While I am going to apply my two ditches to the making of resolutions, I also try my best to live on the road between the two, living and making decisions under the kingship of my Lord acknowledging his authority over my life, which as Edwards has said results in my own good. It gives the most joy and pleasure possible.
I try to make my resolutions attainable, while keeping an open mind that a variety of things outside my control may happen. If things go according to my plans, I'll praise Him, If not I pray that I will still praise Him. With those ground rules in play, I'll be posting my resolutions in 3 categories: Spiritual, Physical, and Family. I have also set financial goals for our family and goals for work as well. I won't share all of my goals because well, it's my blog and I don't have to. :)
What about you, do you have resolutions for 2011?
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