Polmont Old
Parish Church - Scotland
Parish Church - Scotland
Jerome's Jottings
Polmont Old Parish Church
I kind of assumed that most people were in the habit of making New Year’s resolutions. My assumption would seem to be correct if the upsurge in gym memberships and the sudden appearance of joggers around this time of year is anything to go by. So I was concerned the other day when I asked a group of church folk if they had made resolutions, only to discover that very few had and most were agin the idea. There could be many reasons for this of course: how can one improve on something so good, or perhaps the experience of regularly breaking resolutions means one should not even begin, or perhaps one should forget about annual resolutions in favour of daily ones!
Perhaps the problem lies more in the way we make resolutions. I would like to suggest that we do make resolutions and set life goals, but that we are SMART about them:
Be SPECIFIC
It is all very well to have the intention, for example, to get fit. That on its own, however, is vague. Your resolution could do with being specific e.g. ‘I resolve to exercise twice a week at the gym.’ The same could be true of the desire to become spiritually ‘fit’. It is an admirable intention, but needs to be backed up by specific steps e.g. ‘I resolve to get up 20 minutes earlier and read the Bible with the aid of a daily commentary.’ Both of these resolutions would be good; after all, the Scriptures do say that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and that we should lovingly care for it.
Be MODERATE
There is a lovely African saying that goes: ‘You cannot eat an elephant in one sitting’. (Actually, with the amount of eating I did over Christmas, I have the suspicion that I came close to doing just that). The point is that big challenges or projects require time and pacing to achieve. Start small and, by a regular habit, build up to what you seek to achieve. Also, don’t set too many goals at once. Paul wrote to the Philippians and said that he sought to do two things with all his heart: to put the sins and failings behind him and to strive with all his being to become more like Christ.
Make your goals
ACHIEVABLE and REALISTIC
To have a goal of, for example, not being critical of others, is not realistic. Sooner or later, you will find yourself saying or thinking something horribly critical. We all do. In doing so, you have already rendered your goal or resolution unachievable. When you realise that you have done this, guilt often sets in. To start again becomes a harder task. Many people then give up and fall back into old habits. To turn the example around though, and say, “I resolve to speak better of people more often and to find things to praise them about”, is realistic and can be achieved. Also, when we focus on the positive things we can achieve, we discover there is less room for the negative. Paul writes, again in Philippians: “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things … and the God of peace will be with you.”
Be THANKFUL
There is still so much that we can be thankful for.
for time to change and to make amends;
for the forgiveness that is there whenever we fail and fall;
for the strength of God who picks us up and carries us until we are ready to walk again;
for the love of family and friends;
for the great love of God whose plans for us are good, pleasing and perfect.
I pray that you all will have a wonder filled, content and smart New Year.
Jerome
Polmont Old Parish Church
I kind of assumed that most people were in the habit of making New Year’s resolutions. My assumption would seem to be correct if the upsurge in gym memberships and the sudden appearance of joggers around this time of year is anything to go by. So I was concerned the other day when I asked a group of church folk if they had made resolutions, only to discover that very few had and most were agin the idea. There could be many reasons for this of course: how can one improve on something so good, or perhaps the experience of regularly breaking resolutions means one should not even begin, or perhaps one should forget about annual resolutions in favour of daily ones!Perhaps the problem lies more in the way we make resolutions. I would like to suggest that we do make resolutions and set life goals, but that we are SMART about them:
Be SPECIFIC
It is all very well to have the intention, for example, to get fit. That on its own, however, is vague. Your resolution could do with being specific e.g. ‘I resolve to exercise twice a week at the gym.’ The same could be true of the desire to become spiritually ‘fit’. It is an admirable intention, but needs to be backed up by specific steps e.g. ‘I resolve to get up 20 minutes earlier and read the Bible with the aid of a daily commentary.’ Both of these resolutions would be good; after all, the Scriptures do say that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and that we should lovingly care for it.
Be MODERATE
There is a lovely African saying that goes: ‘You cannot eat an elephant in one sitting’. (Actually, with the amount of eating I did over Christmas, I have the suspicion that I came close to doing just that). The point is that big challenges or projects require time and pacing to achieve. Start small and, by a regular habit, build up to what you seek to achieve. Also, don’t set too many goals at once. Paul wrote to the Philippians and said that he sought to do two things with all his heart: to put the sins and failings behind him and to strive with all his being to become more like Christ.
Make your goals
ACHIEVABLE and REALISTIC
To have a goal of, for example, not being critical of others, is not realistic. Sooner or later, you will find yourself saying or thinking something horribly critical. We all do. In doing so, you have already rendered your goal or resolution unachievable. When you realise that you have done this, guilt often sets in. To start again becomes a harder task. Many people then give up and fall back into old habits. To turn the example around though, and say, “I resolve to speak better of people more often and to find things to praise them about”, is realistic and can be achieved. Also, when we focus on the positive things we can achieve, we discover there is less room for the negative. Paul writes, again in Philippians: “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things … and the God of peace will be with you.”
Be THANKFUL
There is still so much that we can be thankful for.
for time to change and to make amends; for the forgiveness that is there whenever we fail and fall; for the strength of God who picks us up and carries us until we are ready to walk again; for the love of family and friends; for the great love of God whose plans for us are good, pleasing and perfect.I pray that you all will have a wonder filled, content and smart New Year.Jerome
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