It has been a couple of years since I posted any New Year’s Resolutions. Some Christians swear by them, and others decry them as unbiblical. I think they help frame the New Year with goals for improvement. That can’t be a bad thing, can it?
Spiritual
I can’t consider myself a “good Christian” without having spiritual resolutions be first, at least in priority. That’s a bit tongue-in-cheek, but I actually do believe that our walk with the Lord should come first. And from that will spring many other benefits.
Bible Reading Plan
I will continue my tradition of utilizing a Bible reading plan to cover the Scriptures over the coming year. Confession: I didn’t do so great this past year and was very inconsistent. My goal for this year is to be more consistent and stick with it. This year I plan on reading the Legacy Standard Bible translation. I will read a portion of the Old Testament and New Testament every day. I will be reading through the Psalms twice this year. And I will read a chapter in Proverbs every day, using the date as the chapter to read (e.g., on the 1st of each month, I’ll read Proverbs chapter 1, and so on).
Devotion
Along with my daily Bible reading, I also like to include the following in my routine:
- Read through my resolutions. Not these New Year’s Resolutions. I have a list of personal resolutions similar to Jonathan Edwards’ that I keep.
- Gratitude journal
- Scripture meditation
- Scripture memory
- Prayer
- Devotional reading (I usually use TableTalk magazine for this)
Self Counseling
I took a class on Biblical Counseling in my studies this past year, which I really enjoyed. In that class, we learned a method of self-counseling that helps you really dig into areas of your life that you’d like to work on. I’d like to use this method in earnest to aid in my “putting to death the deeds of the flesh.”
Reading
I’m not sure this deserves its own resolution or not. I love to read and don’t need convincing. Last year I read 33 books (not really my best year). I’m going to shoot for 50 books this year. I may create a separate post with my planned (tentative) reading list. As a teaser, I plan to re-read through The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings (all 3), and The Pilgrim’s Progress. I’m also going to dive into some Ayn Rand this year.
Physical Fitness
No list of New Year’s Resolutions would be complete without the ubiquitous “lose weight”! And I definitely need to lose weight. My goal will be to run at least 3 times a week and cross-train at least 3 times a week. I also plan on eating better, which will be more whole foods (meats, vegetables, and fruits) and less processed sugar and carbs. I think I will also try intermittent fasting again.
There’s a possibility that I may be testing for my 3rd-degree black belt in Taekwondo.
Finances
The past two years have been difficult for most of the country financially. That is, except for all of the crony capitalists and tyrannical politicians who lined their pockets even more through our pain and suffering. I have been blessed with the job I’ve held for over 13 years. There has been no pressure to partake in any medical experiments and no threat of being fired because of any lack of cultic compliance. Of course, Brandon has done his best to steal even more of my earnings through massive money printing and his circus policies, which have caused the highest inflation we’ve seen in many years.
So what’s the resolution? I am resolving to be more proactive and consistent in managing our finances and budgeting our expenditures. I would like to resolve to pay off a significant portion of debt that we’ve accrued, but I don’t know if that’s reasonable with the economy circling the drain the way it’s been.
Writing
This is a big one! I love to write; at least, I say that I do. And I’d love to be a writer… only, I rarely do write. This year I am resolving to write at least 2,000 words per week. That is very reasonable, and I hope to blow it out of the water, but it gives me a nice benchmark to at least keep my fingers on the keyboard each week.
Setting Goals
Many people have written about resolutions and the need to set goals instead. I place this here as a marker to frame the year. Privately, I do have specific target goals in all of these categories. Setting goals is an important factor in making changes. Updating and keeping track of your progress is also key. Finally, having a good/correct motivation is key. I (hopefully) do all of these things primarily so that I can bring glory to God and serve Him by loving others.
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay.