We all make them. “This year I’m going to lose weight… get a new job… save some money… be kinder…” And sometimes those resolutions actually take off. You join the gym. You open the savings account. But we all know what happens next: the pressure of adding so many obligations onto our already-overscheduled lives makes breaking those resolutions the first and easiest thing to do in January.
Instead of making and breaking resolutions this year, here’s an idea: let’s move into a new way of thinking, of being, of being in the world, of relating to other people. Let’s have #ANewBeginningWithJesus.
Note that we didn’t say, “Pray four times a day,” or “Give more money to your parish”—though those are of course laudable ideas. No; we’re not talking here about doing, we’re talking about being.
If you can get up every morning and immediately turn your heart and mind toward Jesus, what kind of difference would that make in how you viewed your day? If, during the day, every time something negative crossed your thoughts, you could catch and reset it with thoughts of Our Lord instead, how do you think you’d feel?
St. Francis of Assisi is thought to have said, “You may be the only Gospel your neighbor ever reads.” Think about that. Think about living out the Good News (that’s what “gospel” means, after all) in your life so much that people come up to you and ask what your secret to happiness is!
Change your way of looking at life, and your life will change. It really is that simple. Put Jesus at the center of every meal, every activity, every task, and you’ll see that you don’t need those new year’s resolutions after all. What you’ll find is the deep joy that accomplishing the resolutions was supposed to bring you—but didn’t.
You’ll find it when you make 2018 #ANewBeginningWithJesus.
We want to help you make #ANewBeginningWithJesus in 2018, so this weekend only we’re offering free shipping on anything from our webstore. Choose some books or music that will help you shift your focus onto Jesus, and buy as many items as you’d like: we’ll ship it all to you for free!
Photo by Scott Rodgerson on Unsplash