Have you already broken your New Years resolution? Many have and very few are admitting the act. When I first heard of the practice, like you, I engaged the tradition of others. Soon I learned that I wasn't so good at keeping my resolutions. Thinking that they were probably to grand I backed off a bit and made more resolutions that were reasonable and easily applied. I broke those too! Now I resolve to not make resolutions. That is one that I can keep. It's not the negative resolutions we break. It's the positive resolutions we break. Doesn't that say something about our human nature! Think about it. Why do we make resolutions? Resolutions are meant to be the start of something new in our lives that would benefit everyone. Hence, no negative resolutions. Negative resolutions don't benefit anyone. Unless you are a criminal or something like that.
The second element assigned to resolutions we find to be not for us at all but for the "image" that others can identify as good. For instance, resolving to lose weight may be good for us but the world we live in will be more accepting of us. So the logic goes. In reality, in their heart of hearts, few people really care whether I'm fat or not. Since I have accepted the fact that I have flaws that won't be going away anytime soon, my apathy on the subject is high. We have more social pressure that increase the guilt which in turns bring about the resolution. The one we are going to break. Perhaps we have already broken! The best of intentions is not a success model. The best of intentions suggests what we maybe had but never carried through on. The world sees the best of intentions and says, "Way to go! Better luck next time!" and goes on their way.
When I observe people and their resolution making, I see this line between reality and unrealistic. The higher the type of resolution we make, the higher the unrealistic expectation we put on ourselves. It's also true regarding expectations that others put upon us. Well intentioned they may be but constructive they are not. If I make a resolution to smile more; people will say that's too easy. If I make a resolution to smile every day the challenge increases. AND people will try and derail your train if you get too close to succeeding. Realistic vs unrealistic. That is the internal and external set up we make with New Years resolutions.
So, having broken our resolutions we provide the example of failure to our children, friends and other relatives. There was a Supreme Court ruling some years ago where the Judges declared that we the people have no right to expect our politicians to not lie. Incredible! The picture of our world has just gone from some moral compass to engaging the immoral compass. Now when we make a New Years resolution and fail, we think we have justification for not succeeding. The argument needn't be valid to be believed. After we think about failing our New Years Resolution, we apply the logic to other areas of our lives. I have a very difficult time keeping myself honest with God. Owning my own sin is easily pushed aside by one of many different approaches by me. So, the world says, don't take yourself too seriously because you can't be perfect anyway.
Here is the kicker. IF you and I do proceed to engage a New Years Resolution; and IF we make that known to the public around us; and IF we already know that we will fail, THEN we feel justified in either not making the resolution OR not making the resolution because we will fail. Saying we won't make a resolution is just as powerful as saying we will make a resolution. We can say anything and mean nothing. We don't let others get away with this because "we care about them." Really?! We don't really care about them just as we don't care about ourselves. Our "caring" is symbolic of what should be done. Our confessing sin and accepting Jesus as our Savior is not symbolic. It's an act of faith after we realize how God sees us. God always has the best New Years Resolution. His resolution is that all mankind should come to him and receive adoption into the family of God. Our resolution should to be to do that act and be an example to others. What we do and don't do determines where our lives go and whom we affect positively and negatively.
What's your New Years Resolution?
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