Resolutions

I never make New Year's resolutions, but that's because I feel like they a a silly practice. If someone wants to make a change in their life there's no need to wait for the arbitrary date of a new year. Change can be done at any time if you want. Surrounding it with all the fanfare of a resolution just serves as a distraction. But some don't resolve for other reasons...

Q: Last year, I made a bunch of New Year's resolutions, and to be honest, I haven't kept a one of them. Why wasn't I able to I keep them? Maybe this year I should just forget about making any resolutions. — C.H.

God is a lot like Glenda. No help, tricks you into a pointless task,
and is just a massive waste of time.

Perhaps that's not a bad idea. A more serious approach may certainly be needed. But another big factor is what the resolutions where. Quite frankly, some people make some pretty absurd and outlandish
resolutions.

A: Perhaps the "resolutions" on your list weren't really resolutions at all, but merely a list of your wishes — things you would have liked to happen in your life but had no realistic plan to achieve.

There's nothing wrong with resolutions being wishes as long as they are achievable ones. Many wish they could lose weight or get in shape, but these are achievable and can become successful resolutions. There's a big difference between that and resolving to become a millionaire, or to turn yourself from 350lbs to a Victoria's Secret model in time for bathing-suit season.

But there's another reason why our resolutions often fail: We simply don't have the inner strength to carry them out. Temptations come, and we give in to them. Discipline is required, but we'd rather do what's easiest. What's right is clear to us, but we give in to the pressure of the crowd.

Billy is actually correct here. Having the will-power and inner strength to stick with it is the greatest roadblock that achievable resolutions can face.

This is one reason why we need Christ. When we put our lives into his hands, he comes to live within us by his holy spirit and begins to change us from within. He gives us a new desire to do what's right, and a new power to carry it out.

Oh the irony! Is Billy seriously suggesting that a teaching that tells us we are powerless is the solution to feeling powerless!? That's quite a poor pep-talk! AA and other Christian teachings and organizations assert that we are all powerless without God. In the case of AA they tell you that you are powerless over you addiction and that you can only beat it with God's help.

While Billy may latch on to the notion that 'God will help', the big message  here (in his world-view) is that people... all people are powerless and weak. I feel this is a sad depressing position that does a disservice to humanity.

Isn't it so much more positive to realize that every great (and small) achievement was made by that person? That they did it themselves, or with the help of others. They may have thought that God or their long lost loved ones helped them, but the most important lesson is that the power and will was within them all along. And if there is one thing that we want to take into the new year, shouldn't it be the realization that we are capable of so much more than we may realize?


-Brain Hulk

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