At the Well - Resolutions For A New Year

Today's At the Well is being hosted by Laura Lee at LauraLeesLifesong.
The questions discussed today are:

1. What is your favorite "resolution" in the Bible?
2. Do you do a New Year's resolution? Why or why not? Does
your family make a resolution together?
3. Usually a resolution comes as a result of regretting
something you didn't do the year before...how do you let go of the regret and
move forward?

4. (optional...only if you wish to share) Have you ever
made a resolution in the past that you didn't keep and wish you had?

My favorite resolution in the Bible -was the response of the Israelites to Moses before they received the 10 Commandments: "Then all the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.” Their answer sounded so sincere and diligent. Later on, they would disregard their words and do their own thing which resulted in sin.

In my life, I love new beginnings! I get energized over New Year's, the beginning of a school year or any "new" timeline. With new intentions, plans fly high in my mind, yet seem to spiral downward once the "newness" wears off!

After many years of half-heartedly making New Year's Resolutions, I have stopped putting concrete resolutions in front of myself and setting myself up to fail. But as we all know, we need something to aim for - a purpose or goal to keep us motivated. I try to reflect on a quality or characteristic that I would like to see developed more in my life.

This year, I am striving to be more kind. The motivation behind this is the pattern I am noticing in myself of being grumpy, irritable and giving short answers to my family. This happens when I am tired, stressed etc. The kindness I am seeking is the kind that flows from the heart and touches everyone I am around, regardless of how I feel or the circumstances I am in. I do regret how I have been behaving and have determined not to beat myself up over it, but move forward. Each kind word instead of a snap, each smile instead of a scowl, etc. is a step forward.

Another area I am striving for improvement is through Bible Study. God's Word is so powerful and is able to change lives, attitudes, circumstances and it brings hope, peace, joy and strength as nothing else can. This year I desire God's Word to be alive in me and to point others to Him as I go along each day.

I can't think of any specific resolution that I didn't keep but wish I did, although I'm sure there are some. My hope is to follow the apostle Paul's encouragement and face each new year with anticipation and hope: "Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead."