Resolutions improve your life inside, out

  • Published
  • By Chaplain (Capt.) Ted Nicholson
  • 301st Fighter Wing
NAVAL AIR STATION JOINT RESERVE BASE FORT WORTH, Texas --  Some of my favorite movies are those produced by Monty Python. In one skit, a company sets out to find the meaning of life. At a board meeting, a report is presented that narrows it down to two things: (1) People aren't wearing enough hats; and (2) People get so caught up with the mundane things of life that they never get around to doing what's important. After announcing that, a board member asks, "What was that about hats?"

Sometimes we're like that: not getting around to what's important. This is the time of year when people make New Year's resolutions. Making a resolution is a good thing because it takes an honest assessment of who we are and where we want to be. We make resolutions that will improve who we are. Sometimes they are to make our physical bodies better (like stop smoking or exercising more), and sometimes they are to make our relationships better (like spending more time with friends and family). These cover only part of who we are. If we really want to be excellent in all we do, we must take care of our spirit as well.

I challenge you this year also to make a resolution to improve your spiritual life. What form might that take? As above, we need to take an honest assessment of where we stand, then look and see what opportunities there are to make improvements. Some examples could be praying more, reading Scriptures, attending religious services, and meditating, to name a few.

Keeping a resolution at the beginning may not seem very difficult, but what happens at the six to eight-week point? When the mundane things of life drag us away from what's important, what can we do? Keeping a resolution often takes more discipline than we are able to muster in the tough times. Here's where your spiritual resolution really kicks in.

We were not designed to go at life on our own. God has provided Himself as the source of our strength and discipline. When you find it tough to make it through those days when you're tired and about to return to your old rut that you have resolved to get out of, say that prayer and ask for strength. The Psalmist says that "God will respond to the prayer of the destitute; He will not despise their plea."

So, go ahead and make those resolutions. Make them good ones. And, when you start focusing on "hats", pray that God will give you strength to redirect you to what's important!