Another day, another year begins and another resolution. Today, many resolutions will be made, resolutions about planned changes in behavior, attitudes and lifestyles. I know at least one friend whose New Year’s resolution is to lose weight.
For some people the changes may only be minor. For others they could mean a major shake up. But the reality of New Year’s resolutions is that that are easily made and often just as easily broken. A recent poll in the South Coast Register asked people what they thought about new year’s resolutions and most decided they were a waste of time.
Even with the best intentions, it is easy to be like a sailing boat caught in a gale and blown off course. The strongest will in the world, sometimes is not enough to help us maintain those resolutions.
Change needs to be more than a matter of will.Change needs to come from the inside out and that will only happen if we allow the Holy Spirit to change us. This thought is expressed in this song ‘Change my heart O God’ which reminds us that God is the potter and we are the clay. We need to seek His help to mold us and make us into what we should be.
For New Year’s Eve we had a barbecue with a number of other Christian friends from church at out minister and his family’s home. The plan was after the barbecue and a little before 9pm, we would head towards Voyager Park where the fireworks would be. Despite the large crowd milling around the foreshores, we found a good vantage point on the hill over looking the water and waited. And waited. A couple of flares went up and false starts. Then nothing.
The crowd began to grow restless and impatient. And still we waited. We had just about given up hope it was going to happen and contemplated going home (as some people already had,) when the first rockets went off.
From then on, it was a magical show of color and noise as the fireworks exploded over the water and above us. The crowd which had been restless and disgruntled at the wait, were soon cheering and clapping enthusiastically. The hours of work and preparations that had gone on earlier in the day as the organizers set up the display bore fruit, as the fireworks provided a spectacular end to the evening in a shower of gold.
Like the fireworks, we need to demonstrate the fire of the Holy Spirit in our lives so people will look at us and see how God has been at work changing and bringing to light godly qualities. This will only happen if we spend time reading and applying God’s Word to our lives. Just like those who laid the groundwork for those fireworks, we need to lay the groundwork for changed lives.
Last night my husband and I got back to the way we mean to go on – by getting back into God’s Word. This is our new year’s resolution. We spent an enjoyable time of reading the bible together – something that had been pushed aside a little over recent weeks. That lack showed in our lives. Can I encourage you to make more time in God’s Word your new year’s resolution as well?
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