One of the most interesting aspects of beginning a new year, for me, are New Year’s resolutions. When I was a youngin I used to make resolutions all the time. They consisted of stop eating cheetos…no matter how cheesy they are, write something intellectually clever in my diary every day (embarrassing), or ,as I matured, make an effort to go to church each week. Now that I’m older…I’ve started to rebel against the idea of resolutions.
Every year, I watch as peoplemake resolutions for themselves. They consist of going to the gym more, eating better, or going to church. Being on a college campus, you can usually visually encounter this…salad lines become a battle ground for the last piece of lettuce with tongs being the weapon of choice, the gym is suddenly the hottest hangout spot where running tights are the new sexy and dumbbells have replaced milk shakes, and churches seem to have surpassed the attendance of the latest Boy Band concert… ehem OneDirection. Needless to say, January is a bit, shall we say hectic?
Come February, these resolutions are usually dropped like bad habits; Except… they’re intended to be new and improved ones. I think the idea and concept behind a resolution is fantastic, but they it is rarely carried out. That’s why this whole, new year new you shenanigans is a bunch of hullabaloo to me.
If you want to make a change in your life, don’t wait to January to start; odds are, you’ll probably only last for January and end up making the same resolution each year. Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will”.
If we truly wish to make changes in ourselves we have to be deliberate. We need to start by setting small goals and pray for guidance in how to reach them. Don’t use a new year’s resolution as a foundation for change, use God. God can be a much better stronghold for your desire for personal change than the seasonal calendar. It’s not too late, or early, to start striving for a better you!
TwentySomething 