“This
Year I Resolve To….”
Every
year around this time, we get revved up with “personal improvement” projects as
the dawn of a New Year approaches. And in no time flat, those lofty goals and
noble commitments, otherwise known as “resolutions”, evaporate and are
forgotten.
That’s
not to say we shouldn’t make resolutions, or have personal goals. For example, it would be unlikely that your
vacation would be much fun if you simply jumped in the car and started driving
without first selecting a destination, saving sufficient funds, packing the
items needed for the trip, etc.
Too
often, however, we set goals for ourselves without any real plan for reaching them. Sometimes the goals themselves are
unrealistic. Often we fail to accurately
assess what will be required to achieve our goals, including the effort and
commitment involved.
Jesus
taught an important lesson on this subject:
“For which of you, intending to
build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has
enough to finish it — lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able
to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build
and was not able to finish.’
“Or what king, going to make war
against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able
with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or
else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks
conditions of peace. So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he
has cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:28-33).
The Lord’s point is that even the greatest goal — such as being a
servant of Christ — is doomed to ruin if it’s not supported with the necessary
resources.
For
the Christian, self-examination should be a continuous process, not a
meaningless yearly ritual (Galatians 6:4; 1 Corinthians 11:28; 2 Corinthians
13:5). We should set spiritual goals for ourselves, not just annually, but
every day — and evaluate ourselves daily to see whether we’re progressing as we
ought.
Happy
New Year from the Bowling family! preachertombowling@gmail.com
