Friday, January 6, 2012

the problem is that we don't make resolutions enough...

Going into the new year, you have a lot of people wanting to greet you with the question, 'have any new year's resolutions?'. My typical response is 'no' because i do not appreciate the idea that one moment of the year will make me anymore resolute* to making changes in my life. I can't find the specific study, ( i just found a bad article that doesn't even reference) but the "statistics" show that of the 70% of Americans that make a resolution to lose weight, only 6% succeed. I think this tells more about certain personalities than it does that making resolutions are bad.  ... it's no secret that the beginning of the year, gyms are filled with people only to slowly empty after about 3 months. I believe this leads to the cynical attitude of even trying to make resolutions for the new year. Hence my thoughts today. 

One of Merriam Webster's many definitions of the word, resolution is something that is resolved <made a resolution to mend my ways>. I believe society as a whole sees there are huge problems with their life, and at the end of a busy year, what better way to say 'good riddance' than to make a means for making their lives better, through a resolution. We see our need for things to be made right or to be better. And after so many attempts of trying to make it right on our own, it is almost demanded that we become cynical and hardened so our failures to make it right, don't kill us( at least to our psyches). It's this very hardening of our hearts and becoming cynical that is our problem. We don't need to stop making resolutions-things ARE WRONG- we need to take the opportunity to ask for help. Since people are fallible to make their resolutions happen, they should ask for help from God. 

This points directly to our need for a Savior. So now, our resolutions become repentance, right?  Because, if our way is failing in making things right, then when we ask for help from the One who can change it, we should then find ourselves saying 'You are right, im wrong... please help me'. 

We need to resolute to ask for help. And, you know, that IS repentance. it's turning away from yourself, because let's just face it, you have made a wreck of yourself this year. And guess what? you will continue to do so in many ways in this new one... so, instead of becoming cynical and getting worse EVERY year for the rest of your life, hiding from YOURSELF the fact that things are wrong...start making more resolutions; it reminds you that you DO need help and things are NOT right... and then repent and ask for help. 

does this ring true for you?

much love in the new year,
leanna

3 comments:

  1. Very insightful into the deeper meanings of our outward actions. Thanks for posting this!

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  2. just read that in your voice. Well, lady, true true. Good stuff here. Hope to hear all the ways you are resolved to love God more and how i can help you in that. Love you girl.

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  3. Thanks, guys. i will be letting you know you can be helping me do this! hope it was good for you, too!

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