The
book is called opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.
-Edith Lovejoy Pierce
Throughout elementary and middle school, we were encouraged to list
our resolutions with each New Year. I remember hating this. I never really knew
what goals I wanted to accomplish; therefore I would make a perfunctory list
(you know the goals I’m talking about: be a better Christian, read the Bible
more, be a better friend and so on). While there was nothing inherently wrong
with this list (these were all are noble goals), it lacks the specifics on how
these goals would be achieved.
Fast
forward to the New Year’s resolutions of my high school and college years and
you would see that I got the specific part of goal-making down, however I went
to the other extreme-I overreached. My goals were still noble but unrealistic
and unattainable, leaving me to feel like a failure rather than motivated &
encouraged.
I
say all that to explain that this is the first year in awhile that I have
decided to participate in the resolution-making. I am not going to bore you
with my personal list, but I am sharing a list of goals that we can work on
together.
Christian resolutions to make (and keep) in 2014
1.
Rejoice in the Lord. Always. Be joyful in
fellowship! (Philippians 4:4; Acts 8 & 16) People should see a difference
in us. We should be happy and they should see that (especially when we come
together to worship)! We should be joyful because there is joy in Christ
(Ephesians 2:1-4). Be joyful 365 days a year!
2.
Be prayerful (1 Thessalonians 5:17; Philippians
4:6; 1 Peter 3:12; James 1). What do you pray for? Are your prayers
self-directed? Are you praying for opportunities to share the gospel? Do you
pray to recognize those opportunities when they are presented? What about
praying for your enemies as commanded in 2 Thessalonians 3:1? Do you pray that
the gospel may have free course? Do you pray for the lost by name? The
brethren? Church leaders? Political leaders?
3.
Support the work/activities of your local
congregation. Do no allow yourself to become complacent or apathetic; it will
cost you your soul. Support, pray, encourage and participate!
4.
Encourage! Encourage! Encourage! (2 Timothy 4:2;
Hebrews 3:13) Encourage one another to be involved. Everyone needs
encouragement. Leaders and young people especially need encouragement (Titus
2:6; 1 Peter 5:1).
So, what do you think? Are you with me?
A
year from now you’ll wish you had started today.
-unknown
