Resolution Revolution

Good Tuesday morning! The new year has begun and we are some resolution makin' fools! This year, pick one friend and blame everything that is wrong in your life on him (or her). Wait... that's not how we treat our friends. Even the pagans and heathens wouldn't treat a friend in that manner. Yet, how often have you found a finger pointing toward someone when the blame rightly fell upon yourself? One of the most difficult resolutions to make at the start of a new year is to accept responsibility and, yes, even the blame, when you and I have made a mistake or committed a sin. I noticed the other night that it didn't even make the top five resolutions, probably not even the top 20. This year I resolve to take responsibility comes in somewhere behind: 1- Saving money. 2- Losing weight. 3- Getting in a relationship. 4- Exercising more. 5- Spending more time with family. And who knows how many others. In that list though, I had to wonder if any of those who resolved to get in a relationship will include Jesus as the other half of that new partnership?

We can make a lot of resolutions this week. A story in Guideposts this month tells of a woman who resolved to pray for 365 strangers one year. That doesn't sound too hard until we read that God put her feet to the fire in a manner of speaking. She must go up to the stranger and let the person know that she is praying for that person on that day. For an introverted or shy person, that suddenly makes the resolution a whole different challenge. I like the challenging resolutions, but how many have I kept over the years? One way to make and keep a challenging resolution is to pray with God first. Just joining the crowd in the top five list may not put that personal touch to it that God likes to do with us. We tend to pick resolutions based on our own perceived faults, but God may have a different direction for us to go.

If God has created you with an imagination: use it to make an imaginative resolution. That's not to be confused with imaginary resolutions by the way, which are the ones most of us seem to make. We might also think about telling a friend the resolution to enlist his help in keeping us accountable. If that doesn't work out for you, then you have found something else to blame on your friend. Just kidding! Put the pointing finger of blame back in the holster. We each should get aside from the rush and seek God's will in our resolutions first. I mention the rush of life because for many of us, the rush begins again today. Resolutions to avoid the sweets might get lost in the pile of e-mails in the old inbox. The resolution to make our list of resolutions might get shuffled down to the bottom of the to-do list. Find some time to get alone with God this week and ask Him about those resolutions. He may have only one for you to work on this year.

In God we trust for everything!
Bucky