I really like the Toyota TV ad that was on a few years back in which several people are making resolutions – to “give something back,”
to “be more romantic,” to “spend time with my children,” to “find something good in someone I don’t like,” – everyday!

It’s the “everyday” part of the ad that attracts me most. It reminds me that real resolutions are not just token good deeds we perform on
special days, but permanent changes which must be reinforced on a daily basis. The Bible emphasizes that fact. Trust in God’s providence

in sustaining our physical lives must be exercised daily (Mt. 6:11; 7:34). Jesus said our commitment to a life of self-denial and cross-bearing must be reaffirmed in practice daily (Luke 9:23). And Paul attributed his ability to keep life in a spiritual perspective to the fact that he was being inwardly renewed “day by day” (II Cor. 4:16).

We were all made in the image and likeness of God. Somewhere deep inside, there is a constitutional yearning in us all for fellowship with our Maker – something calling us to higher ground. But the important lesson here is that while the impulses urging us to embrace loftier ideals and more godly behavior may be inherent, the practice of righteous living is not natural to us. It must be learned, and frequent, routine repetition is part of the learning process. However well-intentioned we may be, we will never make the kinds of changes in thinking and behavior that are necessary to develop character and improve relationships on an “every now and then” basis.

As we approach a New Year, we may be especially inclined toward making resolutions. Let’s not be merely impulsive or reactionary or guilt-motivated in making our commitments. If we really want the “more abundant life” Jesus promised, let’s be realistic enough to recognize that the only changes with a chance for survival are those we are willing to reinforce with faithful regularity.

Think about it. What resolutions for betterment in yourself and in your relationships with God and man are important enough to you to cause you to accept the responsibility of practicing them “everyday?”

From Guest Editorial VI

By R. Dean Catlett

Minister of the church of Christ in Bend, OR