Five resolutions to work on

Sat, 31 Dec 2022

‘Run with perseverance.’ Hebrews 12:1

Susan Alexander Yates suggests five resolutions to work on.

(1) Reach someone who doesn’t know Christ. God commands us to be salt and light (Matthew 5:13–16); that won’t happen if we spend all our time with believers. While reaching out feels scary, you’ll see God work through you when you take the risk.

(2) Be more grateful. ‘I used to wake thinking about all the things I had to do and the people who needed me. I got depressed before I got out of bed! So I started meditating on God’s character traits, thinking about how awesome God is, and my perspective changed.’

(3) Spend quality time with your spouse. ‘I used to have a raspberry patch. In the early years, I tended it, and it produced prolific crops. Then I got busy, and weeds took over. The same thing can happen in your marriage. We get busy with kids, our careers and church. We think about spending time together when life calms down. The problem is life never does. Don’t let the weeds choke your marriage. You’re raising future husbands and wives who need to know a happy marriage takes time.

(4) Say no to something. Maturing means you postpone something you’d like to do to focus on something more important. In 10 years, what will matter most—that you signed your child up for another activity or said no and had family dinners together?

(5) Pursue Christ with fresh vigour. David prayed, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation.” (Psalm 51:12 NIV) Vary your routine, pick a new topic for Bible study, or begin a new journal. If you still feel stale, ask God to show you the reason.’

‘Let us throw off everything that hinders and… run with perseverance the race marked out for us.’ (Hebrews 12:1 NIV)