New Year's Resolutions

I used to be one of those people who made New Year’s Resolutions.  From 1997-2007, I kept an Advent/Christmas journal every year as part of my spiritual discipline.  Last year I looked back in the Christmas journals and saw repetitive hopes and goals for the new year.  Yet, it seemed that by mid-January  I usually would have  given up on any resolutions.  My resolve to eat right, exercise, and find greater balance in life would only last a couple of weeks until the ‘out-of –routine days’ began to take over.   In fact, for the last several years I have just quit making any resolutions.  It seemed to be only an exercise in disappointment. 

Last year, however, I came upon a new thought.   I decided that instead of a resolution I would choose a word for the new year – a word that I could keep all year long – a word that would give me a focus – a word that I could return to when I needed to and allow it to shape the year.  My word was “abide.”  It just came to me one day last January.  I knew the year would be filled with transitions at church, that there would untold changes ahead.  As my thoughts progressed, I began to imagine the Scripture from the gospel of John where Jesus talks about the vine and the branches.  “Abide in me as I abide in you.  Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.”  (John 15:4) 

Day by day, change after change in 2012, I reminded myself to “abide”.  And it worked!  I had no idea the degree, the times and places that I would return to that word but each time I thought to myself, “This is so much better than a resolution!”  I remember this summer being so thankful for the insight of my new year’s word.  Instead of feeling guilty about my failures, I was redirected to who I am to be in Jesus Christ.  Instead of thinking I had to be doing more, I was reminded that I cannot bear fruit by myself unless I abide.  Instead of New Year’s Resolutions,  I had a Year Long Reminder.

And so in December, I started to get excited about a new word for a new year.  I thought about so many different options but finally on January 1, 2013, I decided on “peace.”  Once again, a Bible verse has helped to give me context.  Jesus says to his disciples in the farewell discourse in John, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.”  (John 14:27)  I have no idea what is ahead in this new year.  I just know that I will have peace – not my peace, not the world’s peace – peace given to me by Jesus Christ.

I wish all of you a year filled with peace and maybe even your own word as a year long reminder.