Did you make any New Year’s resolutions? (Lose weight; get organized; save more – spend less; enjoy life to the fullest; stay fit and healthy; learn something exciting; spend more time with the family; help someone less fortunate; fall in love; accomplish some items on the old bucket list; excel at work; make some new friends; shave some points off the handicap, quit that nasty habit) . . .
January is not even over but most folks have already begun to wane in their resolve to accomplish great things in 2014. Statistics indicate that only 45% of us usually make resolutions, (17% make them infrequently and 38% never make them). Only 8% are successful; 49% enjoy infrequent success; and 24% are never successful in achieving them. People who explicitly make resolutions are 10 times more likely to attain their goals in life than people who don’t explicitly make resolutions.
Too many statistics for me and nothing listed surprises me. These numbers tell me that some of us have good intentions, but most don’t have much self-discipline. I wonder why?
I suppose that we allow the cares of this world to carry us away like a boat with the engine turned off being driven by a stiff north wind in the Atlantic Ocean. If we power up we can go whatever direction we like; if we drift we go with the flow. Most of us prefer to drift . . .
My father, (who entered hospice yesterday), made one of the best New Year’s resolutions this year that I’ve ever heard. He resolved to draw closer to God.
Wow! Now that is a worthy resolution, no?
I doubt he thought he would achieve his goal by dying and having his immortal soul and spirit released from his mortal body in order to achieve it, but nonetheless he soon will obtain his goal and actually see Jesus face to face. (Now that is drawing close to God.)
Dad wasted some of his early life just like I did, but soon he got on track and worked hard and accomplished a tremendous amount for Jesus, and no doubt will be richly rewarded for teaching Sunday school for 40 years, (he’s 92 and just quit teaching in September), for founding 4 churches, and leading countless folks to Christ.
Yesterday after he made his decision to refuse surgery that might have prolonged his life a little and instead to just “let nature take its course”, he quoted Paul in 2 Tim. 4:7 – I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith and then he said with a wink and a smile, “And now I’m ready for my reward”.
What a joy he will soon realize when he faces His God (whom He loves with all of his heart) and hears Him say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant . . . Let’s celebrate together!”
Have a great weekend and go to Honey Lake Church (or somewhere) this Sunday.
Luke 16:10
“If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.”
January 24, 2014 – Click here to listen