Being resolute means you are determined to do something. Each year at this time millions of people make resolutions concerning the coming year. Christians also make resolutions. Perhaps the most well-known Christian resolution maker was Jonathan Edwards. He would write his resolutions out each year reading them and striving to live them each day. At the end of his life, he had written out 70 of these type resolutions. Let me share a few with you today.

  1. Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God’s glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriads of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many and how great so ever.
  2. Resolved, if ever I shall fall and grow dull, so as to neglect to keep any part of these Resolutions, to repent of all I can remember, when I come to myself again.
  3. Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.
  4. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.
  5. Resolved, never to do anything out of revenge.
  6. Resolved, to examine carefully, and constantly, what that one thing in me is, which causes me in the least to doubt of the love of God; and to direct all my forces against it.
  7. Resolved, to study the Scriptures so steadily, constantly and frequently, as that I may find, and plainly perceive myself to grow in the knowledge of the same.
  8. Resolved, to ask myself at the end of every day, week, month and year, wherein I could possibly in any respect have done better. Jan. 11, 1723.
  9. Let there be something of benevolence, in all that I speak.

What do you think? Edwards was serious about being a Christian, wasn’t he? This year, do you have goals/resolutions for your Christian life? We must be careful being dogmatic about our plans because the Lord can change those in an instance. I have written out some things today that would be good for all of us to resolve in 2022.

  1. Read my Bible daily. Carve out time, preferably in the morning when your mind is most fresh. Study the verses. Meditate on the verses. Memorize a verse each week. Read through the Bible in 2022.
  2. Develop my prayer life. Resolve to pray with our families daily, with our friends when opportunities arise and always personally in our “prayer closet.” We seek to keep short accounts with the Lord by confessing our sins quickly and restoring our fellowship with the Lord.
  3. Seek to be more holy in our daily walk. Journaling is a good way to keep this constantly in our minds. Write something each day, preferably in the evening after the main part of the day is over.
  4. Share the Gospel of Christ with those God brings into our lives. They are divine appointments.
  5. Actively participate in the Mission’s Ministry of the church. We have approximately 160 missionary families and projects each month. This year would be a great year to reach 170. We can’t personally go into all the world, but we can personally help send others to all the world.
  6. Be willing to mentor/disciple a new convert or immature believer.
  7. Make the time to have an open ear for those that may just need to talk. The Bible can help them. Listen and then give them the most wonderful medicine, instruction from the Lord’s Book.
  8. Live simple and be flexible. One phone call can change our plans. The Lord directs our paths. Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct our paths.”
  9. Plan on reading a book a month. Choose books by trusted sources or recommendations from Christians that are mature.
  10. Be faithful to God’s House. I listed this at the end, but it is by no means the least in importance. One truth we find as we read the New Testament, and the story of the church is that Christian people are always involved in a local church. Christians and the church are joined at the hip. Each week we have the awesome privilege to attend a church where the Bible is preached and revered and Christ is exalted in a biblical manner.

These ten are a great place to start. Perhaps the Lord has laid something else on your heart. John 2, Jesus is at a wedding in Cana. The host runs out of wine. Mary, Jesus’ mother, who evidently knew the family was seeking to help the host family avoid embarrassment. She tells the servants at the house, “Whatever He tells you to do, do it.” That is my prayer for all of us this year. Whatever the Lord tells us, just do it. Let’s have a great 2022.