As mentioned in yesterday’s post, “Would Jesus Have Made New Year’s Resolutions?”, I make them quite regularly. I break them quite regularly too. Like last year, I thought about reading the Bible in the King James Version in honor of its 400th year. Couldn’t do it – I finished up Easter and finished out with the NRSV and NIV. Maybe I’ll try that again when the KJV turns 500 though. I realize writing this publicly may allow the reader to think that I make these without much thought. Perhaps that’s half-true (I need to give that some thought ;) but allowing myself to try new and different things regularly and to allow myself to fail at them as been among the better things I’ve enjoyed in recent years.

Here’s what I learned – I make resolutions because it keeps my desire for good change going and I’m discovering more good. I want to see a better world in the sense of “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. (KJV)” so even if the resolutions are simply a desire to see a continuation of the good of what’s happening, I find that to be helpful (and look for ways to contribute to the “continuation of goodness”, if you will).

Of course there is a significant population who refuse to make resolutions because among the reasons, they are cliche or we believe the line of thought “That if it was important for you to do it, you would already be doing it.” There’s some sound logic there and it’s probably why 80% of them fail (or 66% according to the less honest polls ;). There were a few years I chose not to make any and make fun of those that did. Part of it was few of my friends admitted they did, the other part was that I had a terrible track record with keeping them and the final part was that I was already full with life, I couldn’t imagine adding another thing.

In my mid-twenties I really embraced the idea of seeking and bringing change. I like change for the most part. Ever more, I saw the need for things that needed to change in the world, in the church, in my community and eventually in my own heart. The latter needed to start changing in order to affect any of the others.

So I believe here’s the challenge for all of us and the basis of my argument.  We see the problems of the world throughout the windows of our lives – why not further resolve to do something more this year? Indeed, many are already doing all they can and each day they pray that God would multiply their efforts. But I suspect based on my limited personal experience that some could use the encouragement to begin or do more than they are already doing.

Choose a world/social issue that grieves you – maybe human trafficking, or bringing clean water to people. Learn about it, give towards it, share about it, help. Check out Invisible Children or Living Water International or Charity Water.
Choose a personal issue that grieves you – maybe a personal entrapment of some kind, or a desire to purify an aspect of your life. Take personal inventory, confront it, pray over it, seek God’s help.

Our pastor mentioned on Sunday that we tend to make resolutions because the entering of a new year logically makes us more aware to the idea that time is passing. I find truth in that. One of my ongoing ones is to be faithful with the opportunities God gives us. I briefly shared that at the evening service as an encouragement to do that collectively and I thought it was a good idea to pass that along here.

Let’s resolve something. Not because it’s that time of year but because there are many things in our personal lives and in our world that need resolving.
May one of our prayers be, “your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven (NIV)”

I’m a believer of New Year’s resolutions. In truth, I make resolutions quite regularly throughout the year. I joked at the gc@nite service that it’s because I have a lot to work on. More on that another time.  As annoying as it can be to hear the same cliched New Year’s resolutions, I truly think they are a good thing. I like it when people say that they are going to do things differently and seek to better their lives.

Now it’s up to each of us to go past the superficialities and follow through with the discipline of these goals but I think it’s better than not making them. Where is the logic in beginning the year saying, “I don’t want to do anything different”? Each of our lives has room for growth. Everyone.

So last night I wondered if Jesus would have made any New Year’s resolutions. While fully aware that this line of thought borders on trivializing the deity of Jesus, I am playing the “dual nature” card. I imagine Jesus recognized the natural desire to improve upon one’s self or observed circumstance. I imagine that he confronted his personal frustrations and clearly he had a deep desire to address the pain around him.

Can you picture Jesus and the disciples hanging out on the beach on New Year’s Eve night drinking really good beer that Jesus turned from juice and divine-hand-made sparklers that Jesus made from broken fishing rods – he’s always bringing redemption to stuff? (That joke will be funny to only one person.) Ok, that may not have had sparklers but I do imagine Jesus and the disciples having numerous life-infused conversations. It’s interesting to note the gospel accounts always contained the idea of “change” and I imagine they spoke it quite frequently.

I understand the line of thought that one that has no imperfections with his morality nor any facet of his character would not need to make resolutions. Further, it’s hard for me to really take seriously the thought that Jesus wanted to lose a couple of pounds because of the excess weight he put on during the holidays but upon further thought, I am ok with that. (It could be because of all the Easter cantatas I’ve seen so many different types of Jesus that I now have a semi-distorted view. ;)

I can picture most Jewish men looking at their guts after the Feast of Tabernacles (it’s a Harvest Feast), and thinking that they are going to have work off those new pounds. While I am not going to accuse Jesus of the sin of gluttony (something that the Pharisees regularly accused him of), I don’t have a  problem with a Jesus that ate too much.  Does our Jesus need to have six-pack abs? I’m not suggesting that he needs to look like George Costanza but does he need to look Tom Brady? I’m not uncomfortable with Jesus thinking he needed to lose a few pounds and humoring himself with the idea that there may be a design flaw with the human metabolism.

But I digress. What I seriously wonder about was void of any New Year’s observance or calories.  I wonder if Jesus surveyed the years in his late twenties and thought, “This year I’m going to serve the hurt around me.” I do wonder between the first and second year of his public ministry if he said, “I’m going to push the disciples more.” or “Regardless of the expectations, I’m going to seek solitude and pray more.” And I’m not sure I can begin to articulate what he must have thought between the second and his third and final year of his ministry.

It’s in this way that I think I Jesus was always resolving and it’s in this way I hope to follow suit and encourage others to do the same. Later this week, I’ll post more on the idea of resolutions – I do think they are worthwhile.