I’ll exercise (more). I’ll go to church (more). I’ll get (more) organized. Sound familiar? At least for me, these are all familiar New Year’s resolutions that I’ve made in the past. However, a few years ago, I decided that even after getting plenty of practical and impractical tips, it was hard to maintain some of those changes in any given year. And it always bothered me that I just couldn’t seem to keep my files organized by the time March rolled around.
Even in looking at the history of New Year’s resolutions and the year-ending bonfires meant to chase away the demons of the past, it seemed like resolutions are not designed to focus on maintaining changes. Part of the reason why New Year’s rituals were so elaborate is the unstated assumption is that you will need to perform the same ones next year because those old habits would have returned.
Making a resolution won’t change your behavior. Making better choices is one way that will change your behavior. We may make progress in one area of our lives but lose ground in another. How do you maintain or regain what seems to be lost ground? For starters, stay focused on the right thing. All too often when we decide to completely change our lives, it’s because of what someone said that may have wounded us. We then get frustrated when we don’t see the changes fast enough to get the attention of those same people (whose opinions really shouldn’t have that much control over our lives). Maybe it’s a weakness in human nature, but we become obsessed with what others are saying we are not. Or even worse, we speak equally destructive words to ourselves.
Instead of repeating what others say we are not, we should spend more time saying yes to God and who he says we are. But so many of us can’t hear who God says we are because we are too busy telling him who we aren’t and what we can’t do.
One definition for the word resolution is answer. The question is who or what are you answering in 2011? There should be only answer to God as you begin every new year: Yes. But this YES is more than a positive answer.
YES means that we agree with God. But it also means something else. It means that we are yielded, expectant and submitted. Yielded to his direction, Expecting his presence and Submitted to his purpose. Proverbs 16:9 reminds us that “A man’s heart plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps.” So when we say yes to Godly change in various areas of our lives, we also are saying that we are yielded, expectant and submitted to his divine will.
Blessings and success to you in 2011!
Shewanda Riley is the author of the Essence best-seller “Love Hangover: Moving From Pain to Purpose after a Relationship ends.” She can be reached at lovehangover@juno.com or by visiting www.shewandariley.com.
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