New Year's Resolutions with Eternal Significance

January, 2003

by: Shelbi Cullen

A new year is upon us and we have approximately 365 days stretched out in front of us just waiting to be invested with our New Year's resolutions. For a lot of women, losing weight is at the top of the list. Just look at the magazine ads the next time you're standing in a grocery store line and you'll see what I mean. But as concerned as I might sound with your physical fitness, I'm more concerned with your Spiritual fitness. Chuck Swindoll, pastor-teacher once wrote, “I know of no Scripture that teaches we'll be weighed in before entering heaven. There will be no Angelic aerobic classes in glory. And so far as I can tell, no local celestial diet will be handed to those who pass the pearly gates. But I am forever running into verses that mention our appearing before the Lord for some type of Spiritual accountability.” So with a new year ahead of you, how can you develop a Spiritual Health Plan? Like a diet, the goal is to get away from poor habits and re-learn new “good” ones. Here are some New Year resolutions that have eternal significance.

Expose your mind and your heart to the Word of God on a regular basis.

A practical way to do that is to:

1. Read through the entire Bible this year using a chronological version.
2. When you Hear the Word being preached in church, bring a journal and write down notes.
3. This year find a specific topic to Study. For example, last year I studied “The Fear of the Lord.” This year my goal is to study the women of the Bible.

Make it your goal to Read Books that assist in your Spiritual growth

Suggestions for 2003:

• “Choices that Lead to Godliness” by Donna Morley
• “Attitudes of a Transformed Heart” by Martha Peace
• “Heaven, Your Real Home” by Joni Eareckson Tada
• “A Woman's Walk with God” by Elizabeth George

Develop a habit of Memorizing God's Word

A very practical way to do this is to write down Scripture on several index cards and hold them together with a metal ring.

Another important part to any Spiritual Diet is Meditation.

Meditation is calling to mind, thinking over, dwelling on, and applying God's Word. But in order for this to be profitable, you also have to be in the habit of exposing your mind and memorizing God's Word.

Go to your Prayer Closet Daily.

Here's a great way to develop a prayer habit. Write down on your new calendar specific prayer requests each day. For example each Monday, pray for the staff at Calvary, on Tuesday, pray for your unsaved friends and family, and so on. So forget those superficial ads and fad. Make it your New Year's resolution to follow a Spiritual Health Plan. You may not lose 20 pounds but you will develop spiritual muscles that make a difference.