An
Inkling
Following
closely on the heels of the season to be jolly is the season to resolve to do
better. Thus our annual attempt at New
Year’s resolutions.
Put
your discernment powers to work on these lists and determine whose they are:
- No more perching on her chest at night, staring in her eyes, and waiting for her to wake up; no more bringing mice and birds to the back door to show off my hunting abilities (the family cat).
- No more chasing the stick unless I actually see it leave his hand; no more rushing by a passing dog without taking time to properly smell his backside; no more burying treasures without remembering where to find them (the family dog).
Human
lists are even funnier! At least it
strikes us as funny that we would keep trying our annual resolution ritual when
our track records have been so poor.
But
there’s a reason for our poor record.
Many of the things we resolve to do are not the sorts of things we can
do simply by trying hard – things like:
be more loving, be more forgiving, think first of others, etc.
Dallas
Willard is so helpful here in distinguishing between the sorts of things we can choose to do (what he calls
spiritual disciplines), and the results of those things (like being more
loving). Thus you can resolve for 2013
to set aside time each morning to pray and read the scripture, to have some
time of solitude each week, and to join others for worship. Those are resolutions you really can keep.
And
the results are beyond anything you can simply resolve to do, such as becoming more
loving, forgiving, etc. These come as
gifts from God, and they will indeed make for a Happy New Year!
So
what will you resolve for 2013?
Blessings,
Keith
