Some people make New Year’s resolutions — goals to improve in some way or to do better. Others make “New Year’s Revolutions.”
Our minister of music addressed this issue on the first Sunday morning of the new year. “I know many of you have made New Year’s ‘revolutions.’” When the laughter died down from his misspoken word, he corrected loudly, “Resolutions.”
He may have been more correct the first time.
To repent of wrongdoings or bad habits means “to turn around and go the other direction.” But often the turn is a 360 instead of a 180. A revolution just continues to turn like a revolving door. This was confirmed when one man stood and declared, “I have a bad temper, and when things go wrong, I’m bad to curse. I resolve to quit cursing this new year.”
After the service, a friend approached him and asked, “Jack, didn’t you make that same commitment last year?”
“Yes, and the year before that?’
“Why do you keep making the same resolution?”
“Because I haven’t quit cursing yet.”
‘Fill me up’
That incident reminded me of the old fellow who would come to church only at revival time. Each year he would stand to testify and say, “Fill me up, Lord; fill me up.”
One little fellow had heard that for several years. He said, “Don’t do it, Lord; he leaks.”
We had another lady in the church who was wishy-washy with her dedication. She would be spiritually hot for a while and then become very worldly.
One Sunday she came forward at the invitation and said to my husband, “Brother Steve, you and everyone here know what I’m like. Sometimes I want to be an angel; others, I want to be a devil. I’ve made up my mind I’m going to be an angel this year.” She held to that commitment, but she knew herself too well; she only committed for a year at the time.
Empowered by the Spirit
We all may leak just a little bit. The Apostle Paul confessed to his struggle to always do what was right. He said: For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am merely human, sold as a slave to sin. I don’t understand what I am doing. For I don’t practice what I want to do, but instead do what I hate. Now if I practice what I don’t want to do, I am admitting that the law is good. As it is, I am no longer the one who is doing it, but it is the sin that is living in me (Rom. 7:14–17).
If our pledges are not empowered by the Holy Spirit and are not truly desires of our hearts, we will fail to keep our resolutions, and they become revolutions.
What resolutions have you made in the past that you’ve kept? What are some that became revolutions? May each of us first pray for the Holy Spirit to empower us to keep our promises this new year.
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