My New Year's Resolution 2012

This year's resolution is a little different from all the other ones I've had in the past.  It's always been weight loss, weight loss, weight loss for me.  After all, I'm fat.  I will admit that without issue.  Don't believe me?  Take a look at my picture to the left; the profile image picture I have.  Go ahead, I'll wait.

Well, I told you that I was fat.

So my resolution this year is different and indeed is one that is more important than losing weight.  This one involves eternity.  At church this Sunday, we were challenged to the following new year's resolution:  "In 2012 I will do whatever it takes to be transformed more into the image of Jesus Christ."  And that is going to be exactly what I will strive to do this year.  (And the next, and the next...)

The verses that were used for this sermon included the following:

• Colossians 1:28 "He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ."
• 2 Corinthians 3:16-18 " But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. ¹⁷ Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. ¹⁸ And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate^[a] the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."
• Galatians 5:16-17 " ¹⁶ So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. ¹⁷ For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever^[a] you want.

During my time reading this morning I went back over those verses.  After all, if that is where we started on Sunday, the very first day of the year, it was probably a good place to start this morning.  So during my reading, I had to look up the word "walk" in the original Greek.  I wanted to see what that word actually meant in the original language.  Walk in the Greek is περιπατέω (peripatéō ) which does mean "to walk", but also means "I conduct my life, live".

So I could paraphrase Galations 5:16 like this: "So I say, conduct your life, live your life by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh."

So how do I keep this resolution. Live my life by the Spirit.

Here is what I'll be doing to accomplish that.

1. Set aside an hour of the morning, every morning, to read my Bible, but not to just read, but read with a purpose.
2. Pray.  Paul tells us to pray constantly, and this is something I have slacked off on.  I'm not sure about praying constantly, but I resolve not to slack on this.
3. Live my life as if Jesus were right beside me.
4. Be sure to pray before I hit the floor in the morning, asking the Holy Spirit to take control of the day as I surrender control of my life to Him.

I am sure there will be other things I will do as the year progresses, (like update my blog on how things are going), but one thing I do believe: As my spiritual life goes, so goes the rest of my life.  So when someone asks me if I am planning on losing weight this year, I can look at them and tell them that no, I am not planning on it, but I believe I will lose weight.  After all, As I am building up my spiritual side, I can't let the tent housing the Holy Spirit go to pot can I?

Eric