|
home / Religion
Make a resolution you CAN keep
E. Marie Murray
Sunday, January 16, 2011
The New Year is here and those New Year resolutions are underway for many of us. Undoubtedly, some of those great resolutions have already gone down in flames, abandoned until the next New Year. Did you already blow that diet? Have you discovered that quitting smoking just isn’t as easy as you thought it would be?
Are you ready for a little New Year’s success after already suffering defeat with the resolution thing?
It sounds corny, but we’ll say it anyway: Repent! Repent? Yes, repent. It doesn’t cost any money, it only takes a moment, and it can change your life (for eternity!) and the lives of those around you.
Throughout the New Testament, we read the word “repent” repeatedly. It is said by John the Baptizer, by Jesus Himself, by Peter, by Paul, and by John. It sounds pretty “churchy,” doesn’t it?
Repent means a couple of things. One is to feel remorse or contrition but along with that, it means to feel so much regret or remorse that one intends to change for the better. In plain English, repent means to say to God, “I’m sorry” – and then make a sincere effort not to do it again.
Now making the effort not to do it again – and failing – does not mean it’s a lost cause, whatever “it” may be. It just means that you need to tell God you are sorry again – and keep trying. Someone said, “A saint is just a sinner who got up.” That “getting up” is repentance and it is something every one of us can do.
None of us is going to be perfect in this life. No matter how many times we repent, we’re still going to have to say “I’m sorry.” The good thing about it, though, is that every time we repent, the slate is wiped clean of the guilt for that offense. We get a new chance to do it right! We can get a New Year’s Day every single day!
We say “I’m sorry” to the people in our lives. “I’m sorry I stepped on your toe.” “I’m sorry I forgot to stop at the store.” “I’m sorry I didn’t have time to get it done.” Even “I’m sorry I’m too tired to go.”
Why would we say less to the loving Creator who put us here? Sometime during each day, perhaps as you lie down in bed at night, just take a moment to rethink your day and say a few brief “I’m sorries.” “I’m sorry I hurt her feelings.” “I’m sorry I was so impatient with my son.” “I’m sorry I was rude to the cashier at Walmart.”
The upside of this? Well, you feel better. You feel better about yourself, about your own personal growth, and you no longer have to carry around the guilt of being a rude or impatient or thoughtless person. In the longer term, you’re developing a relationship with God Himself. If you’re planning to spend eternity with Him, isn’t that a good thing to work on?
The downside? Well, there is no downside. You help yourself to become a better person. You help yourself along the way to eternity in heaven. And -- you get to keep a New Year’s resolution every single day of the entire year.
So, for 2011, my wish for you – that you repent every single day and rejoice in the forgiveness of a loving Father.
Rev. Murray is an independent ordained minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She teaches adult Bible study on Wednesday evenings for Mountain View Community Church. For information about time and location, call (520) 424-9365.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Office Online / CopaNews.com
Daily repentance is a resolution you can keep.
|