Resolutions

It seems as though we live in a world of broken resolutions. Don't believe me? Just go look at the attendance of your local health club during the first couple of months after the New Year. You will see hundreds of people with a sparkle in their eyes. They will be wearing the latest in fitness apparel and be sporting a pair of brand new shoes; you know the ones that make you run faster and jump higher. You will see sweaty bodies, red faces, bowed up chests, and sucked in guts. After a few months have past, the clothes are not matching as well, the shoes are scuffed up, and gravity has reclaimed the chest and the gut. As the brand new clothes fade, so does that burning desire to revive that high school physique. Within a few months there is no longer a waiting line for the treadmills.

Why is it such a common occurrence for us to break our resolutions and promises? It has become so common that it becomes humorous and expected. You've probably heard a statement like; "So Bob, what's your broken resolution going to be this year?" As funny as it may be at the time, we instill a sense of failure in ourselves when we break a resolution. Before you know it, these broken resolutions lead us to expect failure.

We also live in a world that expects people to follow the same path as previous generations. Let me give an example. You grow up fairly active, playing sports and enjoying your youth. High school comes and goes as well as our 18 year old physiques. You heard of the freshman fifteen haven't you? We become more inactive as the years pass.  We eventually become a part of the fast-paced business world. Once again the activity level decreases as the stress level increases. As our priorities become a little more out of place, we decide to start a family and live the American dream. Before you know it, 10 years have passed and we join the multitude of people living very similar lives. Interestingly enough, it's about 15 years later when we finally see ourselves in the mirror and see a different reflection than the one we saw in high school. We try desperately to regain our youth only to come short due to a lifestyle to which we have become accustomed.

When we break the mold and begin living a more organized life with priorities perfectly set in order, we become a part of the minority. The Bible clearly states that there are two ways of life. Matthew 7:13-14 says, "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it." "Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." Although this may not sound very encouraging or easy, remember that with God, "all things are possible." Jesus himself said that he came that "we might have life and that we may have it more abundantly."

Let your training become a catalyst to a higher quality of life.  Try it for 6 months and then ask yourself if it doesn't make you better at everything else.  Let your resolution this year not be a resolution at all but rather a true and honest attempt to make a permanent lifestyle change that will lead to life more abundantly.