Do you make New Year’s Resolutions? If so, what criteria do you use? If not, why not?
I’ve been thinking some about resolutions for the new year, something I normally don’t do. And I’ve come across some interesting food for thought from around the web. Enjoy.
Resolutions are Not Enough: Habits of Grace for a New Year – David Mathis (Desiring God)
The ringing in of a new year brings with it the possibility of a fresh start, or at least a fresh reminder to turn the page on some (or many) ways we’d like to grow and mature in the next season of life. But haven’t we all tried this enough times by now to know how futile mere resolves are if not accompanied by more?
But we often approach our spiritual resolutions at this time of year as if there is only one way in which we’ll grow—by doing a daily “a quiet time”. Yet this is not a silver bullet. 15 minutes with your Bible each morning is so often presented as the “one easy step” to become like Jesus. The irony is that the Bible itself points us to a variety of ways that God grows us. Some of them are fairly obvious. Some of them are surprising.
A New Approach to New Year’s Resolutions – Zach Nielson (The Gospel Coalition)
The end of December brings renewed contemplation about new goals for the new year. But this year, why not consider a slight twist to the usual practice of New Year’s resolutions? Why not make all your resolutions communally shaped? Maybe it’s a Bible reading plan, or a new diet, or a new structure for spending time with your kids.
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