(Happy New Year, again! I am recovering from a bad cold/flu/whatever but have a ways to go. Thank you for the prayers, love and concern. That has been…oh what’s the word?…encouraging! For now I think God wants me to share again from an earlier Note. ¹ Enjoy.)

As certain as the world will revolve,
Armed with wishes we boldly resolve.
The bright morning star will shine truth from afar,
And the way we have made will completely dissolve.

Ah, New Year’s resolutions. We make our lists one day, then scratch them off the next. Our memory seems far too brief to even grasp the text. (Sorry. I’m in poetry mode.)

But why do we fail? Lack of sincerity? I don’t think so. Resolutions often come from honest desires to reach a goal we have created for ourselves. Perhaps part of the problem lies in not understanding what a resolution actually is. Resolution: a commitment; a firm, definite, earnest decision.

Resolutions are about the journey,

Strong words there. Commitment. Firm. Definite. Earnest. Very unlike the wishes expressed in the poem. A resolution is more than simple desire. It carries a deep level of seriousness that translates into, “I will do this…I will become this…I will begin…now!”

Now? Yes. Anything that can be delayed will be. Losing weight, getting fit, reading more, writing more, connecting more, etc. We often fail because we give ourselves the opportunity to do so. That is especially true when it comes to our walk with God.

I try not to have New Year’s resolutions. Instead, I focus on what I can resolve to do each and every day. When I do that, I more often succeed. Resolutions are more about the journey than the destination.

And the journey is about every day.

Every day I will kneel before you and praise your name…forever and ever. ² That was David’s resolution. Is this what he hoped for someday? No. His commitment was for every day which includes today. His resolution began not tomorrow or next week, but now!

My goal is to listen to Jesus’ voice and follow Him. That is what I strive for. So along the Way, every day, I resolve to submit to God and be His servant. Every day I commit to proclaim Him as Sovereign, Lord, Master, Teacher, Savior, Father, Friend, and Counselor.

Will I succeed every day? No, but that won’t stop me from trying, for I am certain of this:

          I will draw closer to God, and He will draw closer to me.
               I will love Him more, encourage others more.
        And I will become more the person He has called me to be.

Paul wrote, If we live by the Spirit, we also walk by the Spirit. ³ That’s where I want to be. That’s my everyday resolution. What’s yours?

Ciloa Forever!

 

Chuck

 

 

Chuck Graham is Founder and Executive Director of Ciloa, an international ministry devoted to encouraging others and teaching them how to encourage one another. He is also an author and speaker. Chuck and his wife, Beverly, live in Lawrenceville, Georgia, USA. Learn more about Chuck and Ciloa at www.Ciloa.org.

 

 

Footnotes: (1) What’s Your Resolution? by Chuck Graham, A Note of Encouragement, January 5, 2015. (2) Read Psalm 145:2. (3) Read Galatians 5:25.

Pictures: Banner: Atlanta New Year’s Eve, photo by Ryan Johns, Unsplash. (1) New Years Resolution, Creative-Family, Getty Images/iStockphoto. (2) 2023 GOALS, from Edie.net, adobe.com. (3) Psalm 145:2, CYC TV, on Twitter @cycnow.