These are some resolutions I wrote in 2009 during a class that lasted longer than my attention span. I find them useful to reread.
Resolved: To never err on the side of caution where God has called me to take a risk
Resolved: to not speak poorly of others behind their back, and to only do so to their face when I believe will bring some good to them.
Resolved: to not let the personality or appearance of someone cause me hesitation in sharing the gospel with them.
Resolved: to try, as best as I can, to love all people.
Resolved: to weigh the profit of any task against its importance in eternity.
Resolved: to live, as well as I can, with my own mortality in mind.
Resolved: to never open my mouth in prayer if my motive is a selfish one.
Resolved: if (or rather, when) I fail any one of these resolutions, I will not doubt the great forgiveness found in the grace of God.
Resolved: to never treat the greatness of God as common place.
Resolved: to never waste emotions on inanimate objects or unchangeable
circumstances.
Resolved: to go through my possessions often and see if there is anything which I would be ashamed to hold before the eyes of God.
Resolved: to pair actions with my beliefs.
Resolved: to consider I may be wrong before any disagreement damages a relationship.
Resolved: when I am confronted with my own error, I will not value my pride over the recognition of truth.
Resolved: to never, as well as I can, trade something which is best for something which is merely good.
Resolved: to read this list often, act on what I've written, and add to it when I can.
Resolved: To not let nameless, vague, irrational fears cause me hesitation in following through in God's will.
To love everyone. Regardless:
of their response
of their personality
of their race
of their usefulness to me
of their offences against me or anyone else
of their possibility of change
of the possibility of repayment
of their character
of how annoying they are
of how incompatible we are
of whether or not they ever know how much I've done for them
of how I feel
of who else loves them
of how long it takes
of how capable of love I feel
of how many times they've failed
of who knows
This is a great list--very thought provoking.
ReplyDeleteI am often struck by the things my friends think of that I do not. Or, perhaps how they take the time to expound on and write down these thoughts.
I think we're all like that. Which is good, since it alleviates the pressure of thinking and articulating everything well.
ReplyDeleteThese all strike me as very right. There is an underlying faith and logic at work which ties them together.
ReplyDeleteThe following points particularly struck me.
Resolved:
to weigh the profit of any task against its importance in eternity.
to live, as well as I can, with my own mortality in mind.
to go through my possessions often and see if there is anything which I would be ashamed to hold before the eyes of God.
I like how you put these. I think often about how sundry items, or time spent, will appear in the light of God's throne room. Would I be ashamed to listen to certain music there? Or to have a movie of my foolish antics played back there? The thought certainly gives one pause.
Thanks for sharing the list. I have been edified.
http://bit.ly/XVI3yw
ReplyDeleteGet them while they're expensive, Stephen!
Thanks Jordan - that's very encouraging to hear.
ReplyDeleteSam - What am I going to do with you? :)