New Year's resolutions are an interesting creature. I can recall a time when I felt guilty if I didn't have a grand list to match how holy I thought I should be. Most often I felt guilty because it didn't dawn on me to resolve anything until around January 5 or 6. Then I would resolve to come up with resolutions sooner the following year.
I even recall feeling like a failure if I didn't start my new resolutions on January 1. I mean, after that, what's the point? There can't be any real self-improvement if you start after the New Year has already been in full swing for a week, right?
This year it occurs to me that many resolutions stem from discontent. I'm not saying I shouldn't eat right and exercise regularly, but some of my past resolutions came from a place of envy. You can see how I am fixing that problem this year.
There are many things about which we look at ourselves and decide we can do better. Some of them may be fine things to work on, but I believe there is a deeper question we should answer first. Am I happy?
I don't want to know if you are giddy like a school-girl. I don't even want to know if you've just wiped away tears form crying at a new Chuck Norris joke. (Although I would like to hear the joke.)
Am I happy should be asked with a larger view of contentment. Exercise should be done to show God we appreciate the body He has given us, not because we are comparing ourselves to magazine covers. Eating right should happen because God gave us one body to take care of while on Earth, not because we made ourselves sweat trying to pull on a pair of jeans.
Every year we resolve to better ourselves in countless areas because we believe that these improvements will make us happy in life. How much better would our lives be if we resolved instead to be thankful for what God has given us?
Each day is a gift. It is filled with people and experiences who are gifts in themselves. Are you happy? If not, perhaps you need to take another look at what you have been given.
Happy New Year! Find your happiness in 2011 in the only One who can truly give happiness.
I even recall feeling like a failure if I didn't start my new resolutions on January 1. I mean, after that, what's the point? There can't be any real self-improvement if you start after the New Year has already been in full swing for a week, right?
This year it occurs to me that many resolutions stem from discontent. I'm not saying I shouldn't eat right and exercise regularly, but some of my past resolutions came from a place of envy. You can see how I am fixing that problem this year.
There are many things about which we look at ourselves and decide we can do better. Some of them may be fine things to work on, but I believe there is a deeper question we should answer first. Am I happy?
I don't want to know if you are giddy like a school-girl. I don't even want to know if you've just wiped away tears form crying at a new Chuck Norris joke. (Although I would like to hear the joke.)
Am I happy should be asked with a larger view of contentment. Exercise should be done to show God we appreciate the body He has given us, not because we are comparing ourselves to magazine covers. Eating right should happen because God gave us one body to take care of while on Earth, not because we made ourselves sweat trying to pull on a pair of jeans.
Every year we resolve to better ourselves in countless areas because we believe that these improvements will make us happy in life. How much better would our lives be if we resolved instead to be thankful for what God has given us?
Each day is a gift. It is filled with people and experiences who are gifts in themselves. Are you happy? If not, perhaps you need to take another look at what you have been given.
Happy New Year! Find your happiness in 2011 in the only One who can truly give happiness.
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