resolutions

While bringing the message at church on Sunday, Luke Humbrecht said " the lens in which you view life fuels the desicions you make in life." The concept of the message was changing the way you take on transformations in your life. Appropriate to New year Resolutions, he also integrated the popular U2 song "When love comes to town". A song in which Bono paints a picture of Jesus coming to town and bringing with him love. His love stayed and remains because it transformed and changed us.
The message itself hit close to home for me, and I think, rings true for most Americans. As a culture, we tend to every year get fired up about how we can create a new and improved "better self" for the new up coming year. The problem is, not many actually follow through with these choices. In most cases, I'm not sure that many people make it through the beginning of the year holding onto their new profound decisions.

Luke went on to point out what should be obvious, but isn't. He talked about how we can make descions all we want, but in order for those good ideas to produce good results we have to be transformed on the inside first. Our decsions are reflections of who we are and how we view things in our life. We tend to get caught up in knowing what is right and wanting to make new better decisions, but as oppurtunites to use that knowledge arises, we let it pass us by, most likely believing there will be a "next time". Jesus didn't intend for us to live that way. He came to transform us in the heart of who we are, the way we think, feel, act ,believe and above all, live. He came to tell us not to be conformed to our culture, don't be like everyone else, but take your eyes and focus them on God to experience a true transformation.

So what does all of this mean for you? How do you make your resolutions? I've never really fallen into the New Year resolution gig, but I know now that I want a new "Life resolution". I don't want to just change certain things about who I am, places I'll go, People I'll meet or things I'll see. I want to renew and resolve my heart, my soul and my mind. I know that if I put my focus on God and the change level of obedience I have tword him, that everything else falls into place naturally.
It seems a waste to put your time and thoughts into thinking about things you want to change in new years. Why worry about resolving yourself to such worldly things like your weight, job, finances, marriage, or even being a better bible reader. These things are all important in living a fufilling, happy life. But what seems much more worthy of truly changing and resolving yourself for is just one word. God. He alone will take care of the rest and it will all come so easily that you won't need to waste your time making empty promises and New Year resolutions to yourself.

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