I HATE NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS
For nearly a decade, I said, “Next January, I will start eating right and exercising.” You can tell what happened with my resolutions. NOTHING. I did not start eating healthy foods. I did not start exercising, but that all changed last January 14th. I had a serious wake up call. Six days in the hospital led me to make a commitment. I will eat right and exercise now. The frustrating thing is that I haven’t lost a lot of weight. BTW, this little beard is a daily reminder of my commitment. I will keep on eating right and exercising to stay out of the hospital.
HOW MANY OF YOU HATE NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS TOO?
Some of you are thinking, “Too late, I already forgot my resolutions. If you expected to help me keep my resolutions you should have talked about them last week.”
Others know exactly what I mean. You’ve tried to kick a bad habit only to go crawling back a couple of days later. You’ve joined a gym and gone once or twice. You’ve thrown out the junk food or cigarettes and then dug them out of the trash.
Resolutions are powerless to change us. Very few of us take them seriously. They are easily and quickly broken.
Resolutions are guilt-driven. We make them because we know we should or because someone else tells we ought to make them. We think we need to make a certain change – that we must do this or we will regret it.
Resolutions are guilt-ridden too. They fail to help us and we feel like failures. We say, “If only I had more willpower…. If only I could hang on a few more days….” Resolutions tear us down and discourage us. They make us want to give up all hope of ever changing.
I think Jesus prefers commitments to resolutions.
Listen to three scenes from His live.
As they were walking along someone said to Jesus, "I will follow you no matter where you go." But Jesus replied, "Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but I, the Son of Man, have no home of my own, not even a place to lay my head."
He said to another person, "Come, be my disciple." The man agreed, but he said, "Lord, first let me return home and bury my father." Jesus replied, "Let those who are spiritually dead care for their own dead. Your duty is to go and preach the coming of the Kingdom of God."
Another said, "Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family." But Jesus told him, "Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God." (Luke 9:57-62 NLT)
That may sound harsh but look at how Jesus lived.
Once when Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, they couldn’t get to him because of the crowds. Someone told Jesus, "Your mother and your brothers are outside, and they want to see you." Jesus replied, "My mother and my brothers are all those who hear the message of God and obey it." (Luke 8:19-21 NLT)
Jesus went even further in His call to commitment.
He said to the crowd, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life. And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose or forfeit your own soul in the process?" (Luke 9:23-25 NLT)
Jesus lived this out in His life.
As the time drew near for his return to heaven, he moved steadily onward toward Jerusalem with an iron will. (Luke 9:51 TLB) When he arrived at Jerusalem, first the crowds cheered for him. Then they chanted, “Crucify.” So, he died on the cross.
Jesus calls us to make cross carrying commitments. These are not resolutions that can be broken and forgotten in a matter of days. When a person picks up a cross, it’s a one-way trip. No one expects to come back.
IT’S TIME FOR NO RESOLUTIONS JUST COMMITMENTS
How would you finish this sentence? “God would be most pleased by my changing….”
When will you start? What is the first thing you need to do? Pray? Ask a friend to check on your progress? Just remember this key principle, “Start by starting.” (Meryl Streep, Reader’s Digest, January 2009)
(Habit Track, Leadership Strategetics by Keith Drury) This is a picture of how we can establish habits of obedience. At some non-tempting place and time you make a decision of your will and reach out in faith to receive Jesus’ help.
Today can be your day to make a breakthrough to victory in your life. This can be your time for
WHEN WE MAKE AND KEEP COMMITMENTS POWERFUL THINGS HAPPEN IN OUR LIVES.
We will learn the power of perseverance. Perseverance is the force behind the wise words of Master Yoda. “Do or do not. There is no try.” (The Empire Strikes Back) It’s the strength of the advice given to smokers. “Never stop quitting.” And the key to successfully kicking any addiction. “One day at a time.”
We will experience the strength only Jesus can give to us. We will celebrate victories – large and small. We will be encouraged and be an encouragement to others. When next January rolls around, we will be driven to make even more commitments.
IF YOU ARE READY TO MAKE YOUR COMMITMENT NOW, TAKE OUT A PENCIL AND FIND SOMETHING TO WRITE ON. IT COULD BE YOUR BULLETIN, A BLANK PAGE INSIDE THE COVER OF YOUR BIBLE OR ANOTHER PIECE OF PAPER.
Goal: What do you believe God will help you do this year? Write it out in one sentence? “God will help me to….” My sentence reads like this. “God will help me continue eating right as well as exercising more.”
Plan: How will you cooperate with God? What specific actions will you take? When will you start? My plan includes keeping both daily food and exercise journals.
Will: Will you make your commitment to God? Will you ask him to help you to carry out your plan? Who will encourage and cheer for you throughout the year?
LET’S PRAY:
Heavenly Father, none of us claims to have already reached perfection! We know we all have a long way to go. But we are committed to keep working toward that day when we will finally be all that Jesus saved us for and wants us to be. No, dear Heavenly Father, we are not all we will be, but we are focusing all our energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, we strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize you have waiting for us up to heaven. (Philippians 3:12-14 NLT)
Take the commitments we make today and the ones we will make, use them to make us more like Jesus. AMEN.
