The Resolution Solution Series:
“How to Change and STAY Changed”
Change. It’s a whole lot easier to talk about than it is to experience. We’re almost through January and that loud crash you’ve been hearing off and on, are resolutions falling to the floor. But don’t worry about it, some of our best lessons in life are the hard lessons of life. And best of all, new starts aren’t restricted to new years.
“Because of the Lord’s great love, we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness!” Lamentations 3:22-23.
Did you get that? God’s mercies and compassions are renewed every day. Every day is a new day and a fresh start. So, don’t focus on what you didn’t do, focus on what you can do. Don’t look at what you lost, look at what you learned. So, let’s continue to look at how we can experience lasting change. Let’s explore some resolution solutions.
Don’t Stop Dreaming.
I’m always a little shocked by the number of people who never make resolutions, who never make real concrete plans to change. Now there’s nothing magical about goal setting, but the late Zig Ziglar was right, “If you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time.” Ellen White put it this way:
“Remember that you will never reach a higher standard than you yourself set.”
Christs Object Lessons, 331
“Many whom God has qualified to do excellent work accomplish very little because they attempt little.”
Christ’s Object Lessons, 332
And my all- time favorite. “The Lord is disappointed when His people place a low estimate upon themselves…He is well pleased when they make the very highest demands upon Him…. They may expect large things if they have faith in His promises.”
Desire of Ages, 668
No matter how often you’ve fallen or how many resolutions you’ve broken, don’t stop striving, don’t stop dreaming. And get started again, because time’s not waiting on you. We’ll be looking at several keys to lasting change, but let’s begin with an all-important one.
Key Number One: Consistent Personal Devotion.
This is where real change begins. Before we can experience change in our homes and in our churches, we must first experience change in our own lives. This change begins with our personal time with God in prayer and study. Ellen White put it this way in the book Sons and Daughters page 313:
“Our first duty toward God and our fellow beings is that of self- development.”
Paul says in I Timothy 4:7,8 that we must exercise ourselves to godliness or real change. Exercise. The core has been a buzz word in personal fitness circles for the last several years. Your core is that complex series of muscles, extending far beyond your abs, including everything besides your arms and legs. It is involved in almost every movement of the human body. When the core muscles are strong the rest of the body follows.
A consistent personal devotional life is the core of your spiritual body. Everything else tends to take it’s signal from that core. But it’s not easy. Our lives seem to be a blur of endless activity. From the time we get up in the morning until the time we fall asleep at night, we are on the move. We just don’t seem to have enough time to do it all.
But we have to make time to develop our spiritual core, our personal devotional lives. When is the best time for time for personal devotion? For most people, it’s probably in the morning when they are fresh, and the distractions are few. But for others, the evening hours are less hectic and more conducive to connecting with God. The best time for your personal devotion is the best time for you.
How much time should you spend in personal devotion? Again, that depends on you and your schedule. The age- old argument is whether you should focus on quantity or quality. But early on I don’t think you should obsess over quantity or quality, but consistency. Get going and keep going, that’s the goal.
Degree of difficulty?
Your personal devotional life is not like gymnastics or a diving competition. You don’t get points for the degree of difficulty or how hard the activity is. That’s where many people trip up. Make your devotional life fit your real- life schedule. That’s not compromise, that’s common sense.
You have to set realistic goals or you won’t be successful. If your family or job or circumstances don’t allow you to invest a full hour in your personal devotion, that’s life. Do what you can do. Take 30 minutes, or 15 minutes and do it consistently. And like physical exercise, set realistic goals. If you have not been exercising, it’s probably not a good idea to set a goal to run 5 miles a day. Those overly ambitious goals rarely last. Same with devotion. Start small and build. Remember the goal is not quantity or even quality, but consistency.
Next we’ll look at our second key to lasting change- Cell Membership or Community. In the meantime, don’t forget to get your copy of the eBook, “The Resolution Solution” and join me each Wednesday this month at 6:45 pm for our Facebook live series at the Madison Mission SDA church on these important keys to lasting change.
