Bjcorbin's Blog

The days between Christmas and New Years are often a time when we reflect on both the year that is passing on and the one that is in front of us.  As we look to the beginning of another year, we often try to stir up some resolve, so that “this year things will be different”.  A decision to make this kind of change is commonly referred to as a “New Years Resolution” and while I’m not necessarily a big fan of such things, I thought of a few that really could make a difference. 

1.     Resolve to love your spouse the way that Christ loved the church and gave His life for her:  Though this scriptural mandate is well known, it generally seems to be ignored based on the idea that it is somehow unattainable.  But regardless of whether we ever perfectly execute this directive, there is excellent fruit to be bore out of the sincere pursuit of it.

2.     Resolve that your “yes” will always mean “yes” and that your “no” will always mean “no”:  Though many of us would likely claim that this is already the case, some careful self examination will often reveal otherwise.  What we tell the officer who pulls us over for speeding, how we handle the paying of our debts, what we put on our timecards when we’re 10 minutes late for work, what will we decide to report on our income taxes, how will I handle those Sunday mornings that I don’t feel like teaching Sunday school…  Though the truth can be painful at times, living by it will ultimately set us free.

3.     Resolve that you will devote some amount of your prayer time listening for the voice of God instead of speaking.  “My sheep know my voice; they listen and they follow.”  “Behold I stand at the door and knock; if anyone ‘hear my voice’ and open the door, I will come in and dine with them.”  God is speaking and what He’s saying to us is far more important than what we have to say to Him.  Let him who has an ear, hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.

4.     Resolve to literally invite God in on a daily basis and to ask that He make Himself more real to you:  The problem for most of us is that our problems and fears and wounds are more real to us than God is; but God promises that if we’ll seek Him, we’ll find Him and be found by Him.  We simply need to step toward Him and He promises to step toward us.  Even those who’ve walked with Him for a long time need to move closer to Him this year. 

5.     Resolve that you will find a new and tangible way to express the love you have for God, your spouse, your kids, your family, your friends, your neighbors and anyone else that you claim to love:  If faith without works is dead, than what is the value of love that is never truly expressed.  Too many times we wait until we’re preparing someone’s eulogy before we search for the words to say what they have meant to us and by then it’s much too late.  If we are ever to become a people known for the way that we love each other, we’ve got to become more expressive with the love that we have.