Resolved!

As I promised in an earlier post, I am giving some purposeful questions to ask yourself as you enter into the fresh calendar year. These are not "resolutions" per say, though they certainly could lead to the making of them. As pastor Y reminded us at college group last week, despite how jinxed the phrase "New Year's resolutions" may be, we as Christians are to be a "resolved" people. However, the why, how, and what of those resolutions should be in accordance with Romans 12: 1-2. In essesence, the why for our resolutins should be God's glory. The how, is only by being transformed by the renewing of your mind (through God's word). And lastly, the what (what we actually resolve to do) must fulfill the criteria of what is the "perfect, acceptable, will of God."

So with that in mind and without further ado, here are the "Ten Questions to Ask Yourself on the New Year (or your birthday)" taken from Donald S. Whitney's website, "
The Center for Biblical Spirituality." Here is Mr. Whitney's introduction (don't skip it!):

Once, when the people of God had become careless in their relationship with Him, the Lord rebuked them through the prophet Haggai. "Consider your ways!" (Haggai 1:5) he declared, urging them to reflect on some of the things happening to them, and to evaluate their slipshod spirituality in light of what God had told them. Even those most faithful to God occasionally need to pause and think about the direction of their lives. It's so easy to bump along from one busy week to another without ever stopping to ponder where we're going and where we should be going. The beginning of a new year is an ideal time to stop, look up, and get our bearings. To that end, here are some questions to ask prayerfully in the presence of God.

1. What's one thing you could do this year to increase your enjoyment of God?

2. What's the most humanly impossible thing you will ask God to do this year?

3. What's the single most important thing you could do to improve the quality of your family life this year? (An aside from Cathryn: singles you don't get out of this one! If you still live at home, you can use this question to assess whether your contribution to the family resembles something of a leech or something of a sevant. Lastly, no matter what particular living situation you are in, establish habits and standards that will work towards the quality of your future home- even if there is no one in sight...yet.)

4. In which spiritual discipline do you most want to make progress this year, and what will you do about it?

5. What is the single biggest time-waster in your life, and what will you do about it this year?

6. What is the most helpful new way you could strengthen your church?

7. For whose salvation will you pray most fervently this year?

8. What's the most important way you will, by God's grace, try to make this year different from last year?

9. What one thing could you do to improve your prayer life this year?

10. What single thing that you plan to do this year will matter most in ten years? In eternity?

Copyright © 2003 Donald S. Whitney.


It's important to remember that change happens in centemeters not miles. Maybe the entirety of this list is not for you right now, but I would encourage you to take one or two and prayerfully consider how God would have you live steadfastly and with single-mindedness.