It is a great joy to know that God has given us the opportunity for a new start this year. As we close out the first month in the new year, and move into February, have you made any resolutions? It is not too late! Many people have already made new year’s resolutions. That is, they have promised themselves that they will do certain things such as: lose weight, stop smoking, go to church more often or something of that nature, but have you ever wondered what would be some good resolutions for us to make for the new year?
If you have not, here are some concrete resolutions that each of us needs to immediately make. If we do each of these every day, they will greatly bless us, as well as bless those around us. These resolutions will enable us to become instruments in God’s hands, shining forth His light of love to the world around us.
Here are those resolutions that we need to make:
1. Pray every day. Make it a rule in your life, and then try to follow that rule every day. Prayer is connecting with God, communing with the Source of Life. If you do not know how to pray, say set prayers every morning and evening, and find time throughout the day to talk with God. Do not let an hour go by where you do not “check in” with God and turn your attention to Him. You see, God commands us to pray without ceasing.
2. Do not only pray but meditate. This means sitting in silence for 5, 10 or 15 minutes each day and try to clear your mind of all clutter. Simply sit, stand, kneel or lay down in the presence of God. You can do this where ever it is convenient to do so. A simple prayer could be – “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, Have Mercy on Me, a Sinner.”
3. Strive to fill your mind each day with something that is “true, noble, just, pure or lovely. In other words, take time every day to read the Bible and other edifying spiritual literature. Fill your mind with positive words and thoughts. Meditate on what you read and try to apply what you read in your life.
4. Take time each day to count your blessings and express gratitude. Do this first towards God and then towards others. Even when you are having a tough day, pause and think of at least five things for which you can thank God. And make it a point that whenever you are frustrated, you thank God even more!
5. Each day hand over any anger, bitterness or resentment to God. Do not allow the day to end while holding on to any bitterness. This means practice forgiveness daily. Take time each day to reflect on your own mistakes, ask God for forgiveness. Then, offer your forgiveness to anyone who may have hurt or offended you.
6. Refuse to let jealousy, covetousness, greed, and envy preoccupy your mind. Thank God for what you have, and “rejoice with those who rejoice”.
7. Humble yourself. Every day remember how Jesus washed the feet of his disciples, and then think about how you can humbly serve others. Strive to make it a habit to serve others with joy. Remember that it is a blessing to be able to serve and to give to others.
8. Do some random acts of kindness each day. Better yet, be deliberate in conscious acts of kindness. Each day think about how you can do something special for the people who cross your path.
9. Make it a habit to greet others with a smile. It will brighten up each person who crosses your path.
10. Make it a habit to offer words of compliments, or encouragement to those you meet during the day. You just never know whose life you will touch for the day.
11. Keep an eternal perspective on life every day. You see, one never knows what a day will bring. Life is short, and it is fleeting. Each day remember that some people have tragically died – remembering death can help us live life better. If we remember that we are but brief sojourners on this earth, and that our ultimate citizenship is in heaven, it changes our perspective on how to live and how to treat others.
12. Show compassion toward all men. Compassion is a non-judgmental emotion that we practice to ease pain and show genuine love to one another. Be considerate. Communicate with others in a warm way. Show empathy and show unconditional love.
13. Be patient toward all men. Patience is a virtue. In a world of instant gratification, patience is a lost art. We often spend minutes or even hours, several times a day, in a state of impatience because things are not happening fast enough. We want to get it done…now! So, let us practice patience. The first thing we must do to nurture patience is to change the way we think about time and its purpose. Let us bear in mind that we do not own our time – we share it with others. Therefore, we may need to make adjustments to circumstances caused by this shared environment. We cannot control everything that happens. We need to leave room in our planning and daily schedules to accommodate the routines of others, and realize that there are more important things in life than what we have to do today. Sometimes we have to drop or forgo what we were planning to do in order to be there for others.
14. Show forgiveness toward all men. Regardless of what someone may do to you, say about you or act toward you, let your response be always one of forgiveness. We are never to render evil for evil. Rather we must overcome evil with good. We should not allow unforgiveness to fester and grow in our lives.
15. Be discerning toward all things. Paul tells us that we are to “prove all things.” This means that we are to scrutinize them and put them to the test. We are to see how they line up against the Word of God. Every activity, every action, every desire, every goal, every plan, everything in life is to be laid alongside the plumb line of the Word of God. If it does not square with the Bible, then it is not right, no matter how you and I feel about it!
By applying these resolutions to our lives, we will become happier and more loving individuals. So, may 2019 bring happiness to keep us sweet; trials to keep us strong; sorrow to keep us compassionate; hope to sustain us; failure to keep us humble; success to keep us eager; friends and loved ones to give us comfort; wealth to meet our needs; enthusiasm to make us look forward to tomorrow and determination to make each day better for us than the day before.
Remember: Forget not the past. The past prepares us for the present. The present equips us for the future. Use the new year to let go of what does not serve you or make you happy – and focus on the beautiful things the future can hold.
About the Author: Mrs. Marilyn Hodge owns and operates the Wellness Centre in the Farrington, Anguilla. The Centre offers Counselling Services by Appointment Only and has now published Positive Living Volume 2. Contact information: 476-3517 or email: marilynb@anguillanet.com. www.facebook.com/axawellnesscentre
