Resolutions

You may or may not be one who makes New Year’s resolutions, who sets goals and checks them off, but every follower of Christ should be striving to improve, striving even for perfection.

I heard recently this definition of a goal: to think about an ideal, about life as you want it to be.

What would your ideal life be? What would it look like? What kind of person would you be in that life?

When we have a vision of what we would like to happen, of what we would like it to look like, then we can better plan the steps that will bring us closer to that ideal.

Ideals are stars to steer by, not sticks to beat ourselves with.

Often the gap between the ideal and where we are is filled with discouragement, guilt, hopelessness, unhappiness. But a proper attitude towards the ideal should motivate us, and help us to see our way more clearly.

Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, or what’s a heaven for? (Robert Browning)

Without vision, we may find ourselves jumping, but only in one place.
We may not reach a goal we make, but the very setting of it improves our focus and efforts to try.

We aim above the mark to hit the mark.

Improving ourselves is really not an optional choice; if we are not improving we are probably, like water, taking the path of least resistance, the path of the natural man.

You are what you do--not what you want to do, or intend to do, or wish you could do, but you actually do do." (Paul Dunn)

If I remember the story right, Alice asks the Cheshire Cat for directions. When he asks her where she wants to go, she doesn't know. "Then," he said, "it doesn't much matter which road you take."

We know which road we want to take. It is the road to Happiness.
It may be steep and long, but it is worth it.

It would be well with us if we planned our journey.

May we, by the grace of God, have success.