Did you know the third week of January is considered the most depressing week of the year?
Why?
Well, because 94% of those who started a New Year’s resolution 4 weeks ago failed to follow through on fulfilling it. That means only six percent of resolutionaries keep their New Year’s commitments. Good thing week three of January is finally behind us––now we can get on with our lives!
I admit, I made a New Year’s resolution to lose a few pounds because the old pants were starting to feel a little tight. And yet those tortilla chips and guacamole, with their siren-like call, have ruined my discipline to shed an inch or two.
I found myself reciting a New Year’s prayer I found that I think is fitting for those 94 percenters like myself:
Dear Lord,
So far this year I’ve done well.
I haven’t gossiped, I haven’t lost my temper, I haven’t been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish, or overindulgent. I’m very thankful for that. But in a few minutes, Lord, I’m going to get out of bed, and from then on I’m probably going to need a lot more help.
Amen
I realized something about New Year’s resolutions as I was participating this year. The Christian life is like making a New Year’s resolution every day. Just like New Year’s, we should look at our lives, find the areas that need some attention, establish disciplines, and look for true change. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? Well, if you’re human you know it’s not; it’s the reason 94% of us drop out of our New Year’s resolutions so quickly. So here are just a few things I came up with to keep in mind as you continue your journey with the Lord.
Examine Your Limitations
Before December 31 I knew exactly what my problem was: I liked tortilla chips and guacamole way too much. I examined myself (got on the scale) and knew exactly what I needed to change.
Examining our spiritual life is actually a discipline the Scriptures speak regularly about. David poetically wrote, “Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my mind and my heart” (Psalm 26:2). David’s request of the Lord is the examination of deepest parts of who we are, the true seat of motives for our action and behavior, the mind and heart.
Even Paul encourages all believers to examine our lives before the Lord (1 Corinthians 11:28), to look at how we are treating others, which ultimately is a reflection of our relationship with the Lord.
Folks, this is not easy to do, nor is it fun to see the parts of our lives we are not happy to bring to the surface. Yet, this is the first step to real change.
Part 2 Coming: Friday January, 24, 2014
CJK
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