Whose Resolutions Will You Commit To?

One of my favorite vistas when driving or hiking is to uncover a meadow filled with fresh fallen snow not yet disturbed by any other creature--not a footprint has touched it except the ones my feet will soon make. It's as if it's a gift just for me, beckoning me to create and play and walk through it. It's a clean slate with no mistakes in it... yet.

The beginning of a new year is just like this snowy meadow. It's a natural time to reflect on the past year and dream and plan and hope for the coming year. It is great because no matter what happened this past year, we have a new year awaiting us. It's a clean slate to do and create and accomplish what is on our hearts... what is on God's heart for you. It's one of the most beautiful opportunities given to us-- a fresh start. It's an opportunity given to us not just every year, but everyday!

The problem is, so many times when we make New Year's resolutions, it reminds us of the ones we didn't do--it reminds us of how we failed. We keep looking at the messed up snow behind us, and resolve that this year, it will be different-- we'll exercise more, loose weight, read the Bible more, and then another year rolls around and we're in the same chaotic mess going nowhere fast. Soon our feeble attempts to change are buried in the remembrance of our past failures.

New Year's resolutions are only as good as our commitment to actually do them not just at New Year's or the first two weeks of January, but daily. It's said it takes about 30 days to make a new habit.

Resolutions are hard work! The question is, whose New Year's resolutions are you committing to? The world's or God's? Both claim to know what's best for us-- one offers products-- the other, a cross. One helps us fit in-- the other makes us stand out. One buries our wounds in despair and regret-- the other forgives and erases them, giving us a clean slate, a beautiful meadow of fresh fallen snow. This year, whose resolutions will you commit to?