New Year's Resolve

When I was growing up, each year, we wrote down our New Year's Resolutions.  Even then, they were written haphazardly and with little intention.  They were wishes.  Things we hoped would happen or things we planned to work on (at least for a little while).  Now, the idea of making New Year's resolutions is almost mocked by some.  I hear people say "the gym is the most crowded in January and February....all those New Year's resolutions" or "I made a resolution to lose weight but I make that same resolution every year, so it won't last very long." 
This week, my 5-year old and I spent several mornings cuddled up on the couch enjoying the last days of winter break.  One morning, as we were looking for the next good show to watch, we came across Pete the Cat:  A Groovy New Year.  My daughter LOVES Pete the Cat, so we snuggled in to watch it.  Turns out, the show was about how Pete was having a New Year's party and was trying to figure out what it means to make a resolution.  He was introduced to resolutions like painting more, making a scrapbook, or working on a bike and even "getting all the things."  Finally, Pete's mom explains that New Year's resolutions are meant to be "things that you hope for in the year to come."  I think this is the strategy that most of us take when setting our resolutions.  What do we hope will come to us? 

However, when I look up the word resolution, it means "a FIRM decision to do or not to do something" and the word resolve means "to decide firmly on a course of action."  Therefore, by the sheer word resolution, we are saying that these are more than hopes.  These are things that we are deciding firmly to work towards.  I don't know about you, but if I am going to decide to firmly work towards something, it needs to be something important.  It needs to be something sustainable and challenging.  It needs to be something that will make a difference.   

We make resolutions at the beginning of the year.  Beginnings are important because they set the course for what is to come.  As I think of beginning, the words from John 1, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4 in him was life,[a] and the life was the light of all people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it."  In the beginning was the Word.  The word sets the course for us.  It sets the course for what is to come.  It is our road map. If we are to resolve in anything, it must be supported with the word.  If we are to make a resolution, the resolution must point us back to our road map.  When we think about beginnings, we should return to the Word.  It is all that has lasted from the beginning.  With that, we are promised that all things (not some of the things) came into being through Him.  Nothing exists without God.  Nothing stands apart from God.  Word began with him and then life followed.  And then, there was the darkness.  I love this verse:  "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it."  The light.  What is light?  Literally, of course, light is what brightens a room or rises with the sun.  Figuratively, however, light is symbolic for that which is good.  It is goodness and hope.   

This scripture in John continues with the words "here was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light.  The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.[b]  10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to what was his own,[c] and his own people did not accept him. 12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God."  Here, we get the understanding that the light is good.  The light is connected with God.  When we are doing good and doing what is right, we are able to be more connected with God.  John was sent to testify to the "light."  The light is hope. The light is God so that "all might believe."  Similarly, we are called to testify to the light.  If the light is God and our hope as Christians is to spread His good news, we must also spread the light.  Remember, "the light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it."  Our world has always been full of darkness.  Once sin entered the world, darkness also entered the world.  The light, however, shines brighter than this darkness.  I recently heard a commencement address from the December graduation at Samford University, my alma mater.  In this address, Dr. Westmoreland urges all of the graduates to "respect everyone..."  He even goes so far to say that if "you have not learned to respect everyone, our delivery of a Samford education will have been substandard and we will have failed you." Samford prides itself on being a Christian University with Biblical teaching.  The president of the university just stood up and told the graduates that without respect of all people, then they have learned nothing from their education.  Part of being a light is showing love to all.  Therefore, part of showing love to all is respecting everyone.  Dr. Westmoreland lists an array of people with whom you may disagree:  the young, the old, the person at the restaurant who gets your order wrong, the person whose political beliefs you disagree with vehemently, and the list goes on.  Yet, he says to show respect to each of them and more.  Respect everyone.  Be a light.  Show love.  Resolve to respect everyone. 

John 1 goes on to say "14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son,[d] full of grace and truth. 15 (John testified to him and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’”) 16 From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son,[e]who is close to the Father’s heart,[f] who has made him known."  So, let's go back.  In the beginning was the word.  All that existed at the beginning was God and the word.  God brought light.  Light overcomes darkness.  Then, John came and testified to the light – that same light that has already overcome the darkness. And, finally, the Word became flesh and lived among us and from him "we have all received grace upon grace."  As we think about resolving to do something and as we make these firm decisions, we also know that we will fail.  We may not permanently fail but there will be times of failure.  For that failure, the Word, the Light, God...offers us "grace upon grace."  It is that grace that allows us to repeatedly start over.  It is that grace that allows us to get up and try again.  So, knowing there is grace, we are given the opportunity not just at the beginning of the year but also six weeks into the year and in the middle of summer and again in October, November, and December to resolve to do better.   We can resolve over and over to show respect, to read, study and follow the word, to be better Christians and people.  God knows we will fail over and again. 

So, as we look to this New Year, I will resolve.  Resolve to be the light.  Perhaps, just committing to these words of John Wesley will point us in the right direction to be that light that shines in the darkness because the darkness will not overcome us: “Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can, At all the times you can, To all the people you can, As long as ever you can.”