What to Do about New Year Resolutions?

Here we are just a few days before we enter yet another new year! In addition to the New Year traditions of watching the television broadcast of the ball drop in Times Square (though in recent years I have given up this tradition!), savoring pork and sauerkraut (I have not yet given up on this one!) and watching football bowl games, another tradition comes to mind. Making new year's resolutions. Been there? Done that? I have. And usually for no long term gain! 

Yes, I admit I am tempted to start off the new year with the status quo. But a big part of me wants to make some changes for the better. And changes don't just happen. As Don Carson reminds us, "No one drifts toward holiness." So I am once again going to enter the new year with some resolutions in hand. But this year, I am going to do it differently than I have done in the past. This year I am going to KISS the whole resolution making process (i.e. Keep It Simply Smitty). 

Therefore, I am making three resolutions. No more. No less. One for my mind. Another for my body. And a third for my heart. Mind, body, heart. All require some special attention. 

1. My mind. Jesus included our minds in his call upon us to love the Lord our God (Matthew 22:37). So how can I better love God with my mind in 2018? One helpful step to do so is to saturate it with God's truth. To assist me in this, I am resolving to memorize each of 52 weekly questions and answers from The New City Catechism. This will be a stretch for me. But a stretch well worth undertaking! 

2. My body. The Apostle Paul reminded his readers (and by extension, us) that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). As such, we need to treat them in such a way that honors God. To help me with this, I plan to use my fitness tracker to achieve my personal step goal for each day. I also will strive toward reducing the amount of grazing I tend to do in the evenings when at home. So at the end of the day I will be increasing my calorie burn while reducing calorie intake. Sounds like one step toward taking better care of the temple!

3. My heart. King Solomon, arguably the second wisest man to ever walk this earth (Jesus being first), urges the guarding of one's heart "above all else" (Proverbs 4:23). To help me do this better, I am going to spend time working through the book of Proverbs by using Tim Keller's excellent new daily devotional on this Old Testament book of wisdom. I plan to journal and pray my response (and hopefully live it out in the trenches of life) and memorize some key verses from the book.

So there you have it ... three simple (I think) steps I plan to take (in addition to other things I already am doing) to help me walk further down the path of godliness . . . taking each step, of course, by God's grace and for his glory! 

Thanks for stopping by . . . 
pj