Resolutions that Matter!

I imagine there are countless articles flooding the Internet about making, keeping and breaking New Year’s resolutions. It is wishful to make them, challenging to keep them, and disappointing to break them. But it happens every year, doesn’t it? Some of us want to get healthier, some want to save more money, others want to stop smoking or drinking. The list goes on. Sadly, those January 1^st goals rarely make it past January 31^st.

After many failures over the years, I have learned that making resolutions is not going to work if they are not based on something that is truly important to me. I mean deep-in-my-gut and heart-of-hearts important.

Of course, I always want to lose weight and exercise more, but I have realized that it hasn’t always been a priority to me. My life doesn’t depend on me being skinny. Healthier, sure. But skinny, not really.

So what priorities should I focus on when making resolutions? What will cause me to stick with my goals? The answer is – life-changing results.

I realize that physical goals will likely disappoint me. But what will make a lasting difference is making spiritual goals. I know when I put my life in the Father’s hands and trust Him, my faith is stronger, and I become more peaceful, more joyful, more loving, more thoughtful, and just a nicer person to be around.

Godly Resolutions

Here are some spiritual resolutions that can make an impact on your life as well. Maybe you can pick one or two (or all!) and make them your focus for 2021.

1. Praying every day. I don’t just mean, “Thank you for this food. Amen.” Or “God, gimme this, gimme that.” I mean having a two-way conversation with the One who knows you best and (still) loves you the most. There are so many benefits to having an active prayer life. You will have peace when challenges come and have confidence that your Father always has your best interests at heart. You will know that He loves you unconditionally and forgives you endlessly. And you can be assured that He will never ever leave you (He’s always just a whisper away.).

2. Daily Bible study. It takes a bit of discipline to get started reading the Bible every day. My suggestion is to plan a specific time every day and make it a priority. I like to start my day with my Bible study time and do it before anything else. (I need to get my face in the Book before I get into Facebook!) Once you get into a daily routine, you will feel off-kilter when you miss a day. When you are new to Bible reading and study, you may not know where to begin. You can always begin at the beginning with Genesis in the Old Testament or the story of Jesus himself in the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament.

A Helpful Bible App

One thing I have found that will help is finding a good study plan. I have the YouVersion Bible App on my phone. It is a free download for your computer, phone or tablet. There are over 1000 Bible versions on it! Every day it will give you a verse of the day to read. That’s a great place to start.

One of my favorite parts is the selection of devotionals. If you go to the bottom of the app’s home screen, there is a link called “plans.” I love these. They are short thoughts and scriptures to read. You can search for any subject you want – it may be something you are struggling with, it may be a specific book you’d like to study, or it may be a video plan to give you encouragement. I don’t always agree with everything they say, but there are always ideas to provoke my thinking. I usually have four or five of them that I do each day. These can help you get started, for sure. Here’s a link to the app for your computer:

https://www.youversion.com/the-bible-app/  Of course, for your phone you can go to the app stores to download it there. I know you’ll love it. There are also plans for your family to do together or for your kids to do. It will also ask you if you want a daily reminder which can help keep you on track. With this app on your phone, you can always have the Bible with you wherever you go, too. That’s handy when waiting at the doctor’s office, or in the pick-up line at your kids’ school, or while your car is being repaired.

Others-focused Resolutions

3. Serving Others. I had a difficult time labeling this one, so I’ll try to explain what I’m thinking. I personally want to find ways to give more of myself to others in 2021 than I did sequestered at home during 2020. Of course, it’s only one day between 2020 and 2021, so the world won’t magically change overnight. We still have to be careful about the elephant in the room – Covid. That means finding ways to bless others will take a bit of creativity. Good old-fashioned note-writing, phone calls, secret gifts, or other “random acts of kindness” can make a difference in someone’s life. I’m sure you, too, can find clever ways to let others know you care and, more importantly, that God cares about them.

 Everyone you meet, every person you pass by on the street, at the grocery store, or in Target, including every friend you think you know, has a secret story. Every single person has struggles and pain you know nothing about. Think about that! Your little act of caring may just help someone make it through another day. How will you know what to do or who to reach out to? I suggest you pray about it. Ask God to open your eyes to those around you. Ask Him to guide you to the person who needs His blessing through you.  Then, just do something. (By the way, if you tell someone you are praying for them, please do it! I always stop right at that time and pray.)

Resolutions To Draw You Closer to Him

4. Worship! God is so good! He never leaves us. He blesses us every single day. His promises are true and everlasting. Sometimes we dwell on the negative stuff so much that we forget about Him. I understand that. When you are hurting, it affects your focus. Pain, whether physical or emotional, can be overwhelming. But when we make time to worship Him, it redefines our purpose; our struggles are a bit lighter, and our hope a bit stronger.

So, how do we worship? Singing praises is a good way to start. (And He really doesn’t care if you can’t carry a tune in a bucket! He listens the melody of your heart.) The book of Psalms is full of praise hymns. Read some out loud. Or you can listen to Christian music. You can also just sit quietly and meditate on His goodness. Counting your blessings will fill your heart with gratitude. I also like to read about the many different names for God and His qualities. Here’s a good article that tells you about some of them: https://www.ibelieve.com/faith/10-powerful-names-of-god-and-what-they-mean-for-us-today.html

Covid has had a huge effect on churches in this country. Most are “meeting” online or not at all.  It’s been tough not being able to fellowship with our Christian family over the past several months. Zoom is good to a degree, but it lacks that personal touch we all are missing! Hopefully, before too long Christians will be able to worship together in person as God planned for the Church to do. You see, the Church is not a place; it is the family of God. I am praying that we will soon be together again. I have missed it so much!

Resolutions to Live Thankful and Blessed

5. Living Grateful. When we acknowledge the good in others our gratitude grows, relationships are strengthened, and God is glorified. Find something good to tell your spouse, your family, and friends every day. You will be surprised how others will stand a little taller and act even kinder. We all like to be recognized. Encouraging others is such an easy gift we can give, and it will bless our lives as well.

So, that’s just a few ideas for New Year’s resolutions for 2021. These are sure to grow our hearts with a renewed purpose which will, in turn, make us more Christ-like in many ways. I’d love to hear your ideas as well. Drop me a note.

By the way, my wise friend, Jeff Jenkins, had some wonderful thoughts about this same subject. Here is a link to read what he has to say: https://grandma-d.com/starting-over-a-new-day/

I hope you will resolve to let the Lord have his way in your life in 2021. With His help, I know you can do it! Happy New Year, dear one!

Love, Grandma D

 Dear Father, more than anything, we want to please you with our lives. Help us to make 2021 the year we grow closer to You and share your love with those we meet. We are so grateful for all you do and all you have done to claim us as your children.

In Jesus name, Amen