Skip to main content

Happy You, Nier!

I was never great at making New Year's resolutions. I used to feel bad about this. I can remember I would get back to school, usually on January 5 or 6, like this year. One of my friends would list off the 50 ways they were going to better themselves and the world that year. Then they would ask me about my resolutions. (Gulp...) Well, I plan to make some resolutions next year. But each year I'd forget.
As I got older I would make some lame resolution about exercising and then feel bad as I heard others who had given much more thought to their resolutions. This is also true when it comes to giving things up for Lent. We'll be a week into that season before I realize I haven't even thought about what I could give up.
Like I said, I used to feel bad about this. I no longer do. It's not because I've gotten very good at making or keeping resolutions. I haven't. Here's what I've learned.

1. Most of the people who made resolutions only made it halfway through February. A resolution is only as good as the person who makes it.
2. If January 1 is the only time we're thinking about resolutions and making positive changes in our life, then it's not often enough.
3. For me, resolutions are something that can and do start on any day and last for as long as it takes.

With all of that in mind, I'll tell you my resolution. It's been my resolution for several years now and I remind myself daily of this charge I have. And it's not original with me. You'll find these words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 2:2. "For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified."

I don't know what you think of resolutions. Maybe you make several every year. Maybe you've never made one. Whatever side you fall on, be sure to keep your focus on God and what he wants for your life. That's a resolution that will result in each of us having a happy year.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Accountable

I recently officiated a wedding. The ceremony was simple, lovely, and ended with another couple professing to keep the covenant of marriage. But it all started with a clarification...from me. At our first premarital counseling session, as I have done with every couple I have agreed to marry, I clarified a couple of matters. First, I officiate Christian weddings, where both spouses-to-be are professing Christians. I firmly believe that marriage is difficult enough, without adding disagreements about God into the mix. Second, as a minister of Jesus Christ, I believe the pastor’s role in a wedding is to represent the blessing of God on that union. So we have several sessions of premarital counseling where we discuss married life. It’s not that I have this imaginary card in my head, with a picture of me on the front and my stats on the back. (You know, like a baseball card.) Ok, I do picture cards. Pastor cards! And being a competitive guy, I want my stats to look good. The number of coupl...

The Facebook Maybe

Granted, I'm a pastor. I have Type-A tendencies. Ok, my tendencies border on freakish OCD behavior patterns, but... Few things bother me more than the Facebook 'maybe'. I suppose I could go on and on about the grey areas of our society and the refusal of people to accept absolute standards. I could discuss the great need of people to accept that what is wrong for one person is likely wrong for everyone. I should certainly be concerned about mentioning that someone might have sin in their life. But I don't believe the Facebook 'maybe' is quite sin. Perhaps if I were coming up with new sins, I would add this to the list. But alas... Some might think the Facebook 'maybe' did not exist prior to the Internet, but they would be wrong. When I was in high school and asked a girl out on a date, I would normally be told that if they had no other plans, if nobody else called them, if there was nothing good on television and their hair did not need washing, then per...

But I Wanted It

As I've said before , I'm looking for a new place to do youth ministry. Job searching in itself can be a full time task. Unfortunately, no one is paying me to look for a job. And when you haven't had to find a job in 15 years, the whole experience can feel brand new. And nerve-wracking. And quiet. So very, very quiet. I may spend a few hours here and there sending out my resumes and writing cover letters. But the churches I'm sending my information to have their own timeline. And sometimes that timeline does not involve acknowledging my presence. Which is fine, especially if one of the churches I've applied to is reading this right now. I understand those looking for youth pastors will have their own agenda and their own timeline. But it leaves me sitting here with a deafening quiet around me. I am choosing to walk by faith through these days, picturing God working behind the scenes (always behind the scenes) and holding His voice very still, until He is re...