Do you have one? Many millions of people make New Years Resolutions each year. People resolve to lose weight; to change diets; to reduce expenses; to be better friends, better husbands, better parents, better children, better people; to increase prayer lives, faith lives, improve relationship with Christ; etc.
And despite all these resolutions……we still gain weight, eat badly, spend more, treat each other with disrespect, and make decisions based on many things without considering Jesus.
HOW CAN THIS HAPPEN??? Why do we do this? Is it that we as a people can’t keep promises? Is it that we don’t understand commitment? I think the biggest reason we fail, is that we think we are better than we are and take on too big of a resolution.
What is a resolution anyway? It’s a promise. It’s a commitment. Commitments to change, delete, or add a habit. How can we commit to changing a habit? If we habitually don’t pray, we can’t simply un-train ourselves in one week and miraculously begin a new habit of praying always. That is an unrealistic expectation of us. We are not that good.
If you are like me, you can’t stand the fact that “I” can not do this on my own. “I” CAN change myself! “I” can make this a habit! “I” “I” “I” “I”!!!!!!
Here is the biggest secret of 2008. “I” is the problem! We can’t change our habits immediately because “I” isn’t enough!
This new year please take on the challenge to do two things:
First: Make Realistic Resolutions! Start off trying to pray or read the bible 5 minutes a day. That is all it takes to start! Remember, holiness is not a measurement of prayer time; it’s not a measurement at all. Holiness is the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life and the Holy Spirit will use that 5 minutes a day to transform your life, your job is to say YES! Your prayer time will increase as a result of your growth in faith and relationship with Christ.
Second: Do Not Try To Do This Yourself! Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promise to His people. He knows a thing or two about keeping promises. Take him with you. Ask the God of the Universe, Jesus Christ, to help you. And, when you fall, STAND UP! Do not be discouraged! The Apostle Paul writes about Hope in Hebrews; “…be strongly encouraged to hold fast to the hope that lies before us. This we have as an anchor of the soul, sure and firm, which reaches into the interior beyond the veil.” - Heb 6:18-19.
By making realistic resolutions and taking Jesus with you, you can break the chain of failed resolutions. You can succeed.
To close, I find it fitting that Pope Benedict XVI wrote his latest Encyclical on Hope. Here is a link to read it. http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/encyclicals/documents/hf_ben-xvi_enc_20071130_spe-salvi_en.html
Remember an Encyclical is a letter and is meant to be read by the Christian Faithful. It is not a document to be put in a library somewhere. READ IT! LEARN IT! LIVE IT!
God bless you all on your walk of faith.
Jesus, renew in us the Hope you bring. Holy Mary pray for our purity as we pray:
Hail Mary,
Full of Grace,
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit
of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary,
Mother of God,
pray for us sinners now,
and at the hour of death.
Amen.
I love you all.
bob
