Goodbye 2017! Don’t let the door hit you on your way
out. That is the way one might feel
as we begin 2018. We always the hope for
better things to come. To that end let’s
consider the old saw that is sometimes attributed to Albert Einstein:
The
definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over,
and
expecting a different outcome.
What to do?
I’ve got it, we can make New Year’s resolutions. Nobody’s perfect. Everyone can find something to improve
upon. We really should and ought to, you
know.
So, we trot out the same old list of things
people always resolve to do. I’m going to
quit smoking, drinking, cheating on my spouse, spending too much time at work,
or yelling at the kids. I’m going to lose
weight, get more sleep, look for a new job, or have a date-night with my spouse
once a week. Often, we find that we have
blown it by the end of the first week or so. It is just too much hassle.
To paraphrase Albert Ellis:
The most difficult thing a person can do is
to identify something in their life
that needs to be changed, and then to
change it.
The answer is to let go and let God. Your resolution can be a revolution if you resolve to allow Jesus Christ to be your Savior and your Lord. Let Him save you from slavery to sin, because
(as we have seen) you can’t save yourself.
He will be in you and you in Him.
The Holy Spirit will live in you. If you surrender to the Holy Spirit,
you will want to please the Spirit and not your old worldly self. You will still fail occasionally, but if you
confess to God that you are sorry, and that you really want to change, He will
forgive you, set you back on the right path, and give you the desire and
strength to change. It is by faith that
you can have victory.
Next year, on New Year’s Eve, you won’t need
to make a resolution. Put everything in
God’s hands. You can trust Him to work things out for the best in the end.
