New Year's Resolutions

Published by: Editor on Wed, 29 December 2004 15:53:46 | (2764 Reads)
Originally Written by: Elder Wayne Crocker on 12-29-2004

RESOLUTIONS?
(Daily Devotion for December 29, 2004)

It will soon be that time of year when people make those New Year's resolutions. A short time thereafter, most of those resolutions will be broken and the people will be back into the same old rut in which they had endeavored to stay clear.

Should we make resolutions? Perhaps it depends upon how faithful we are to stick to our resolves. I, for one, do not have a very good track record. Even to a much greater extent than the Apostle Paul, I find myself in situations where when I would
do good evil is present with me. And the things I would do, I do not and the things I would not, I find myself doing (Rom. 7).

Within our fleshly nature, we are failures and will continue to fall. Therefore, we dare not say: "To day or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain" (James 4:13). Instead we should say: "If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this or that" (James 4:15).

Our desire to live more closely to our Lord and avoid sins of commission and omission are most certainly within the Lord's will. But we must realize that we need His strength to help us to walk the Christian pathway. Every day we should resolve to
walk more closely to the Lord than the day before. However, I am afraid to boastfully say I am going to do so.

I believe it is good to try to improve. The new year is a time when this need seems to be brought to our attention more forcefully than usual. Let us think of some changes we need to make in our lives for the year ahead and endeavor to make them. Next week, when we fail to make the grade, don't give up and say, "I blew it, so I will try again next year." Instead, we should say: "Lord forgive me and help me to get back on the right road." It is
better to try and fail than to never try. For if we continue to try, there will be some successes along with the failures.

Yours in hope,

Elder Wayne Crocker

Note :

Daily Devotion for December 29, 2004