A RESOLUTION OF THE SPIRIT
By CHERYL CRUCE
Happy New Year! The clock chimed at midnight as fireworks lit the night sky. The old year faded into the history book of life, and a fresh new year has begun. Festivities such as birthdays, anniversaries, and vacation destinations are marked on a new calendar with anticipation of future celebrations. And the cycle of life continues. We are another day older. We are another year older. But are we another year wiser?
I am not one for making New Year’s resolutions. I struggle with staying committed to my promise. More often than not, I will fall head-first into a landslide of disappointment. I want to say I will exercise more, be kinder, and break old habits. These are excellent aspirations to reach for. However, I need more than a one-day commitment. Something has to change within my person before I can support a shift toward a better me.
Anyone who wants to succeed in life’s resolutions must have a strong beginning. When Plato said, “The beginning is the most important part of the work,” he spoke the truth. We must carefully map out our new start, strengthening ourselves for the journey. Our commitments cannot be surface deep without much thought of our being strong enough to follow through. Our pledges must be more than words spoken in a fleeting moment of time. Without careful planning, the one-day resolution becomes a failure. Regardless, the New Year is a time of new beginnings and vision. Did you know Jesus talked about resolutions? Not necessarily declarations for a new year but for a new life. Jesus shared the wisdom of old garments and old wineskins. He said you do not tear a new garment to patch an old one because the fabric will not match, and the new garment will also be ruined. Similarly, if you pour the new wine into the old wineskin, the old skin will burst, and the new wine will spill (Luke 5:37). So, it is with us that we might resolve to receive the garment of righteousness and the wine of His spirit, whole and complete in Him.
What vision do you have for your life? Is it a new promotion, losing weight, or exercising more? Is it to be a stronger person, physically or spiritually stronger? Whatever the course, begin with a new wineskin; wear His garment. Remember, the beginning is most important. Success comes when we follow the One who strengthens us. Did you know that a righteous man can falter and fall, but he will rise again? Those who do not continue in God’s word fall into calamity, never to rise again. (Proverbs 24:16).
The New Year is not the only day of commitment. Every morning when we open our eyes, we are given a fresh start to become the new wineskin, to receive the new wine of grace. Follow the teachings of our Lord and allow Him to set the way for you. To rise again in His will. The Psalmist writes, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path (Psalm 119:105).” Allow the light of Heaven to illuminate and guide your steps every day.
Philippians 3:12-15 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. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Cheryl Mixon-Cruce is Pastor of Ochlockonee Bay United Methodist Church and Sopchoppy United Methodist Church.