A Resolution for Others

I was out walking/running the other morning, (my own personal resolution) and I came up to a stop light. At the light was a construction pick-up with two men in the front seat. The one driving was "over-weight." The passenger was thin. I started to think how nice it would be to be thin (which is why I was out exercising) and then the passenger lit up a cigarette. No wonder he is thin. The driver probably had the resolve to quit smoking and now needed a different resolve if he wanted to be thin.

In the book "Strategy and the Fat Smoker," David Maister observes that people know what needs to be done to improve either a relationship, a product, a team, or one's health. The question is not "what needs to be done." The real question is, "Does that person or team have the resolve to make it happen?"

At the turn of this New Year, resolutions fly through the air like dust in a sunbeam. They have about as much substance as well. And it goes like this: If I want to lose weight, I have to exercise and eat well. As far as exercise goes, the commercial on T.V. says that one can exercise for thirty minutes, three times a week and get into great shape. I like that. I can do that. Which days? How about I do this on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I'll take the weekend off. Good plan. Monday works out okay. Wednesday comes and maybe I'll do this on Thursday and then Saturday. Thursday comes and I manage to go for thirty minutes. But Saturday is my day off. I'll wait until Monday. It's cold out on Monday and you see how this goes. In a couple of weeks I wonder what happened and so I start a new resolve.

This cycle is the case for most resolutions. Whether one is focusing on exercise or eating, reading or prayer, there is a resolve, the dissolution of which loses the benefit. God bless our resolutions.

In Scripture the word "resolution" does not exist. But the word "resolute" is used once in the NASB. Prothesis is the Greek word for "consecrated" or "purpose" and "resolve." Luke describes Barnabas as "encouraging them all with resolute heart to remain true to the Lord." (Acts 11:23). But the interesting note here is that this resolution comes from the grace of God in the context of rejoicing. Now the resolution is not a law or something I am determining to do out of my inadequacy. Rather, this resolve comes by rejoicing in the grace of God for the purpose of strengthening those in the fellowship of faith. Now we're getting somewhere.

Another Biblical resolution is reflected in the words of St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 2:2 where Paul writes, "For I am determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified." Paul resolved, for the benefit of this struggling congregation to always point them to the cross and to the grace of God in Christ, that they would be strengthened in their faith and to rely on the power of God and not the power of man. This resolution was for the benefit of others.

One other resolution in Scripture comes in the form of a promise. In Genesis 3:15 God says to Satan, "I will put enmity between you and the woman, between her Seed and your seed. He will bruise your head. You will bruise His heel." I don't know how long the resolution of Barnabas lasted or the extent to which the goal was met. As for Paul, the Corinthian congregation needed a lot of attention and called for his determination. Both have encouraged Christians for twenty-one centuries. But the resolution which has benefit for all mankind is the fulfillment of the promise God made to Adam and Eve and all people everywhere. The resolution of God to draw all men to the cross of Jesus is one that will last for all eternity.

So the question is not, "What needs to be resolved?" Rather, the question is, "Is that resolution the thing in which you rejoice?" Or better yet, "Is that resolution for the benefit of others, specifically for their spiritual life in Christ?"

My personal resolutions have come and gone so many times that I forget what they have been. I only know that they are unfulfilled, and because of that, they are of little value for me or anyone else. On the other hand there is a resolution that has staying power and completion, the fulfillment of which has our best interest in mind. In fact, God's resolve became the restoration of all mankind. For that restoration, we have something in which to rejoice. Now we have something to bring to others this year.

God bless your New Year.