Tuesday; January 1

I wish I was the person today that I planned on being this time last year.  If I would have just kept to a better diet and workout plan, I would be in better shape than I am now.  If I would have read as much as I planned on reading, I would be a lot smarter than I am now.  If I would have been more involved in the lives of people and what was going on in the community I would be more of an influence than I am now.  I started out the year with good intentions – what I didn’t have was the commitment that I needed to stick with it.  I am not complaining about the last year (and in some ways I am sure that I grew and developed), but in other ways I failed.  It wasn’t that I didn’t plan to succeed, I just didn’t follow-through with my plans. 
In assessing the past it is easy to excuse my lapse – I mean, after all, none of us ever really intend to keep our resolutions, right?  Yet, the truth is that if we keep excusing our failings, will we ever get to where we hope to be.  When it becomes convenient to justify our lack of focus (aka commitment) words are just that – words.  Through the last several centuries we have been faced with a couple of extra-biblical proverbs that remind us, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions” or the more detailed saying, “Hell is full of good meanings, but heaven is full of good works.”. 
When we get down to the bottom line, maybe we should be willing to forgive ourselves for our lack of follow-through, but we’d better not be willing to accept it as a principle that governs our lives.  If we don’t intend to do our best to fulfill our commitment, we’d be better off bypassing New Year’s resolutions. 
What’s our plan for 2019?  Let’s be judicious in making pledges – to ourselves, to our neighbors and to our God – then be responsible for what we promise.
          Think About It!

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