RESOLUTIONS

Have you ever read the resolutions of Jonathan Edwards? Over a period of several years, Jonathan Edwards wrote down seventy resolutions he felt inclined to keep and strive towards. When I read them, I'm struck by their seriousness. There are more than five which speak of death. Edwards wanted to make sure he was living his life to the utmost in light of the certainty of death. When was the last time you heard anyone speak of how they want to live, in light of death? People don't speak of death very much today, I suspect because we insulate ourselves from it. In Edwards' day, in colonial Massachusetts, death was a very common thing. Most every family would experience the death of a young child, if not more than one. There were no nursing homes or hospices so people experienced death more often than people do today. I don't think it's a morbid thought to think of your own death. I think it gives your life more meaning and brings a soberness to your activities. A while back, I felt challenged to write down some of my own resolutions. I am, by no means, done writing them down. Every so often, I'm challenged in different areas to make new resolutions. These aren't a means to legalism - they are just convictions I have felt led to make, and by His Spirit, I hope to keep these resolutions. It's a way to flesh out what Paul expresses in Philippians 3:12 - "Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own." So here are some of the first resolutions on my list ~

Resolved - to read through and evaluate these resolutions once per week.

Resolved - to preach the gospel to myself on a regular basis and remind myself of all that God promises to be for me in Christ Jesus.

Resolved - to observe and be in awe of at least one aspect of God's creation each day whether it be a full moon or the gleam in my children's eyes. (Psalm 104, 139)

Resolved - to floss daily (1 Cor. 6:19) :)

Those are my first four resolutions. Some are more profound than others. (My mom will like the one about flossing!) The second one was inspired by two people, Jerry Bridges and John Piper. In Jerry Bridges' book, The Discipline of Grace, he has a whole chapter about preaching the gospel to yourself. This has been one of the more profound things I have learned in the last couple years. Jerry Bridges may have gotten this from Martin Lloyd Jones who wrote about it extensively in his book, Spiritual Depression. The intent is to preach to yourself, as the psalmist does in Psalm 42 - "Why are you downcast, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again priase him, my salvation and my God." The second part is a phrase drawn from John Piper's ministry. To focus on everything God has promised to be for me in Christ is a central theme of one of his books, Future Grace.

I hope and pray that these resolutions will draw me closer to Christ and be a means to keep my eyes fixed firmly on Him and on what's eternally significant. Let me know what you think and I'll post more of my resolutions soon.