I will climb up to my watchtower and stand at my guardpost. There I will wait to see what the Lord says and how hewill answer my complaint. Then the Lord said to me, “Write my answer plainly on tablets, so that a runner can carry the correct message to others.” (Habakkuk 2:1-2)

I resolve to:

• Lose weight by eating healthy
• Exercise every day
• Stick to my budget
• Spend more time with my family
• Pray more consistently
• Read the Bible more regularly

Ever make any of these resolutions? (Is the Pope Catholic?)

It happens every year, doesn’t it? Sometime in the days leading to Jan. 1, many of us start thinking about making New Year’s Resolutions.

What is your track record in keeping them? (Time to hit the confessional?)

If everyone who made resolutions kept them, the world would be full of slim and trim, financially secure, biblically literate prayer warriors with problem-free happily living ever after families!

Since this is not the case, one would have to conclude that most people, correction, most Christians who make New Year’s resolutions fail to keep them.

Welcome to the club! But don’t take a life-long membership 🙂

Over the next five days leading up to New Year’s Day, we plan to release revelations on making and keeping resolutions.

I have been asking the Lord why I have not been successful in keeping resolutions I have made in the past.

He took me to Habakkuk 2 and showed me two reasons that have contributed to my rather abysmal track record.

The first thing he pointed out was that I had been making resolutions without consulting Him first…Ouch L

He asked me whether I got my list of resolutions as a result of watching for His revelations in the watchtower or by reading what other people suggested in publications I read, yes, even Christian publications.

I had to hang my head in shame.

I put them together based on what I could see in me and around me and what others told me I needed to do and be. I did not “wait to see what the Lord says” that was unique to me and customized for me.

Secondly, he pointed out that I was not always diligent about writing them down, so they were plain for all to see.

Mea culpa. Encore.

The Lord wants to give us a vision first of what He has in store for us this coming year.

All our resolutions need to be consistent with this vision.

Resolutions that are not aligned with His vision for us are not likely to be kept, amen?

Once we receive the revelation(s), then we need to write them down. This way we can re-visit them, keep them in front of us all the time and evaluate periodically how well we are keeping them.

So, before you make a single resolution this year…

May I suggest that you take a block of time every day for the next five days to simply:

• Wait and watch for the Lord to release His vision/revelations and
• Write them down?

At least, that is what I intend to do.

Et tu?