Resolute Change

I've never been a fan of New Year's Resolutions. Why be more focused on change this time of year than any other? But, more and more, I'm understanding that EVERY day should be one of resolute change. As a matter of fact, I am resolving to be a person of resolute change every day in 2010, and would challenge you to join me.

Simply put, "resolute" means, "firm in purpose or belief." And "change" means, "the action of making something different." What I'm resolving to do is firmly and purposefully act to make something different and more like Jesus. Yesterday I was reading a devotional thought by Oswald Chambers. He references John 6:66, which follows one of Jesus' hard sayings. In response to what Jesus told them, we read, "From that time many of His disciples went back, and walked no more with Him." There are many times in our lives when we are faced with an idea or thought from Jesus that seems hard, or isn't what we want. In response, we just kinda ignore it, or decide we will deal with it some other way so that we can continue unchanged. In essence, our lack of change shows that we've decided not to follow Jesus on this point. Oswald Chambers speaks to this, saying, "if you do not walk in the light of that vision, you will sink into servitude to a point of view which Our Lord never had. Disobedience in mind to the heavenly vision will make you a slave to points of view that are alien to Jesus Christ." The bottom line is each time we disagree with Jesus about a point in our life, we are adopting someone else's view point and giving it priority over Jesus' viewpoint. Whether it's in the area of entertainment, business practice, or some other area of our lives, each departure further removes us from the mind of Christ until we ultimately reach the point of doing what we want and only asking God to bless it (or just hoping He doesn't find out!).

Will you join me in this one resolute change: when Jesus speaks to an area of my life, I resolve to quickly and forever align myself with His will? That, I think, is a resolution worth keeping EVERY DAY, and not just in January of 2010.