Resolutions?

There has been a lot of discussion recently in Blogland about the making of New Year’s resolutions.

Some enthusiastically champion the practice, lauding the benefit of added focus to their year. Others shun it like the plague, citing the depressed feelings that set in when the resolutions are not kept.

I’m not a resolution maker. The traditional list of New Year’s resolutions has always seemed to me to be a frivolous substitution for true commitment. I don’t want to look back at the end of my life and see a trail of broken promises. I want to be faithful in the things that truly matter, things like building my relationship with God and with people.

This isn’t to say that I don’t have goals and dreams. I do, as the many lists filed in my notebooks will testify. But I want to keep things in perspective. Most of those things are nice, but not top priority. And my brain doesn’t like clutter; I’m not a very good multi-tasker!

Several days ago, I began to think over the past year. It was a hard year, probably the hardest yet of my short life. There were many times when I became so mentally bogged down in troubles that it was hard to do anything else but anguish. Yet whenever things looked blackest, God was faithful to remind me that He was the One in control. I remembered how many times I worried about what people thought instead of what Christ thought. Then I remembered the peace that came when I finally gave things up to God. And almost before I realized it, I’d renewed an old “resolution”: in the words of the hymn-writer, “I am resolved to follow the Saviour.”

Life as a Christian isn’t always easy. But there’s Someone we can go to for answers.
Life as a Christian isn’t always pleasant. But we look forward to Joy.
Life as a Christian isn’t the way we would have planned it. It’s infinitely better!

“I am resolved no longer to linger,
Charmed by the world’s delight;
Things that are higher,
Things that are nobler,
These have allured my sight.

I am resolved to go to the Saviour,
Leaving my sin and strife.
He is the true One;
He is the just One;
He hath the words of life.

I am resolved to follow the Saviour,
Faithful and true each day,
Heed what He sayeth,
Do what He willeth;
He is the living Way.

I am resolved to enter the Kingdom,
Leaving the paths of sin.
Friends may oppose me,
Foes may beset me;
Still will I enter in.

I will hasten to Him,
Hasten so glad and free.
Jesus, Greatest, Highest,
I will come to Thee.”

Palmer Hartsough, 1844 - 1932