4 Every-Day Resolutions The reason New Year's resolutions are set up for failure is that it's such a long period of time. Instead if you faithfully live out "today" resolutions every day, you will find that you make great progress by the end of the year. God is the God of TODAY (Psalm 118:24; II Corinthians 6:1-2; Hebrews 4:7). Even when He created the world, He did so one "today" at a time. But, what shall we resolve to change? For most people, it is changing what they do. Yet, the New Covenant is not in "DO-ing" but in "BE-ing". No matter how much progress is made in the field of Artificial Intelligence, it is still "artificial", because those robots don't have the human nature. Similarly, many Christians only have artificial righteousness, because they don't have the Divine Nature. When Jesus first explained the New Covenant (Matthew 5:3-9), He taught that when the attitude of our heart is right -- poor in spirit, mourning, meek, hungering and thirsting, merciful, pure, etc. -- then God gives us His Divine Nature so that we ARE like Him. Here are 4 "every-day" attitude resolutions that we can have right now, today!... 1. BE thankful. Notice the 3 stages of gratitude in Colossians 3: having a thankful attitude (v15); then singing in your heart with thankfulness (v16); and finally giving thanks outwardly (v17). Of the 10 lepers who were healed, it was only the man of the despised class (Samaritans) who came back to give thanks. When we think nothing of ourselves, gratitude will come easily. It's when we think we are or deserve something, that grumbling and complaining comes out instead. 2. BE merciful. We are called to be perfect in showing mercy (Luke 6:36; Matthew 5:48). Showing mercy to others is not something we need to "work towards." We can start right now. 3. BE faithful. Faithfulness is not in gritting our teeth or guilting ourselves into doing some tasks consistently. Rather it is in BEING faith-full, and diligence and dependability overflowing out of that. Jesus also said that our faithfulness is tested in the little things (Luke 16:10-12). Here are 2 "little" areas in which we can be faithful to our spouses, our children, and those with whom God has placed us in the local church: (i) "I will pray for you" (ii) "I will be here for you -- at home, at the church meetings, etc. 4. BE ready. In our hearts, we must be standing right by the door at all times, expecting Jesus to come (Luke 12:35-40). Then we won't be caught off-guard when He returns. Ask God, and He will give you grace to BE this way TODAY!
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