Evangelism
January, 2011
The Problem with Resolutions
How many times have you planned “New Year’s resolutions” only to find that by the end of the first week of January you have lost your “resolve?” The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines the word “resolve” in several different applications that mean something to me personally.
Resolve means to “deal with successfully.” A sub-meaning here is to “find a solution for.” Probably one of the most popular resolution topics is HEALTH and FITNESS. Only rarely do humans really WANT to exercise or change our food habits; we do it because we NEED to. Successfully dealing with our body’s needs, through exercise and proper “diet,” can have a long-lasting physical and mental impact for us- not to mention, we start looking better in the mirror!
Resolve means to “make progress from dissonance to consonance.” Now, that may not make sense to you non-musicians out there, so let me explain. Have you ever heard the end of a musical phrase and it sounds like fingernails on a chalkboard for a brief moment… then to have one note or voice change, bringing the phrase to a pleasing conclusion. That is what we call “resolving the chord.” Just before the resolution, you get the feeling that there is something missing… that you’re not quite finished… (Raise your hand if that is your perpetual state of being!!!)
Lastly (at least for my purposes), Resolve means to “reach a firm decision about.” A resolution is not intended to be a whimsical party topic. It should be a soul-searching, intentional decision to separate from something comfortable and familiar (bad habits, unhealthy eating, laziness) to take yourself to “a better place.” As Ina Garten/The Barefoot Contessa says, “Who doesn’t love that?”
Do you have any resolutions yet for 2012? I want to continue in my healthier lifestyle ways and to be a better friend, a better church member, a better follower of Jesus. When I reach December, 2012…will I be able to say those quests were “resolutions” or merely wishful thinking on my part? In 2012, I want someone to see Jesus in me.
Renee
