The second part of resolutions

So the first part of the resolution process is conviction. Are you convicted enough? Do you realize the importance of changing your behavior, plan, aspect of your life to actually resolve to change it? Either we can admit we are too selfish to change or sacrifice our comfort for a new commitment to change. I for one have been entirely way too selfish in my ways to change several aspects of my very comfortable life. Although I felt conviction and knew change was necessary, I have used countless excuses and blamed others for my lack of gumption. But after conviction, after taking steps to really solve a problem and know that it will be for the better, comes the second part that plays a vital role in making the resolution real.

Commitment. Whew. That is a scary word. People throw this word around all the time with no concept of the gravity it holds. Let's go to the definition shall we?

Commitment: the trait of sincere and steadfast fixity of a purpose

Someone has a goal in mind. A purpose. Let's look at marriage since we are all aware that the word "commitment" is heavily used in that area. A guy and girl decide they have feelings for each other and eventually assume or feel that they have fallen in love. The guy ask the girl to marry him. To commit to him. They agree together before God and other witnesses to commit to each other and a life where decisions will now be proposed, debated, collaborated, and carried out as a team. Where you are no longer working through life as an individual, but as a pair to display God's love and glory, not only through your own actions, but as a created unit. It is one of the most priviledged responsibilities. However, in America this act of commitment is all too often not taken sincerely and with a steadfast fixity of purpose. People get married for the wrong reasons; they get married based on "feeling of the moment", fear of loneliness, fear of "this is as good as it is going to get", feeling pressured, filling a void that should be filled and sustained by God. All these different reasons, and then when push comes to shove, when the going gets tough, it is over. The commitment was acknowledged, but not taken seriously. In fact there is a WEBSITE dedicated to divorce rate in America. How sad is that? I realize that truly I cannot report clearly on marriage or divorce being as I have never experienced either one. However, this is a common issue in our lives. A classic case of failed commitment.

This being said, once we realize we are truly convicted of our problematic areas and want to resolve them, we make the resolution which is in essence, a commitment to fix them. So why are we not steadfast in our fixity of this purpose?

Well I know that I personally start a lot of the things I commit with my own personal gain in mind. When I do this, it is a lot easier to break the commitment once I no longer am interested in my personal gain. Or my personal gain shifts to something else. For example, I really know and acknowledge that having personal time set aside for God every day is not only going to strengthen my relationship with Him but change my outlook on life for everyday occurances. I know this. I make the commitment with my ultimate goal not getting to know God better or glorifying Him, but so that my days will feel easier and I can feel good about myself. The commitment fails the day that everything else is going on and I feel tired and my goal of making my day feel easier now includes dropping that intimate time with God to free up time. I made the commitment, but for the wrong reasons. For selfish reasons.

So to really make the commitment I need to find the right reason for the commitment. Where my feelings or my own selfish desires won't hinder my steadfast resolution.

1Corinthians 10:31 says that whatever we do, we should do it for the glory of God. Our commitment, our resolution should be with the intent or purpose of glorifying God. Our resolve to change should be so that when people look at our actions, when they view how we live our lives, they can see an example of how to glorify God. ( Matthew 5:16)

I pray that God places a brokeness in my life that I depend on Him fully. That I make commitments to people and to myself that will depend on His strength and will glorify His name.