New Year's

Resolutions are no better and no more powerful than the "will power"

behind them. We're great at fulfilling first of the year resolutions for

the first few days or even first few weeks. But, as the year passes along,

our "will power" trickles down to nothing to such an extent

that we forget our resolution(s) until the next New Year.

Let me insert

a little spiritual thought since this is a religion column. Let me recall

for you the scene as Jesus prays in the Garden of Gethsemane before the

moment of His arrest, trial, and execution on a cross. He actually prayed

that He would not be forced to fulfill His resolution to become humankind's

absolution for sin--for no human being wanted to endure death on a Roman

cross. But before He finished His pray, He added, "Nevertheless,

not my will, but yours be done"--referring to His Father--God. The

will power of Jesus perhaps waned so He locked in to God's will power.

Lesson: when

your New Year's Resolution to lose weight wanes, lock onto God's Word

that says our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, asking yourself,

"In what kind of house should I prepare for my Lord as He resides

in my life through the Holy Spirit?" A friend of mine said in jest

once, "Never trust what a five feet, ten inches tall preacher, weighing

300 pounds tells you." Good point. If we men of the cloth can't exercise

will power for the sake of our witness, who should trust us when it comes

to the claims of the Gospel?

Lesson: when

it comes to a New Year's Resolution concerning your personal spirituality,

there's such great temptation to let your resolution wane after a few

weeks. After all you've had a knock down drag out fight with your spouse,

you've lost your witness on I-285 and you've missed two Sundays at church.

Here's where you need to lock onto God's will for your spiritual growth.

You see, it's not your will for you to grow, but God's will for you to

"grow in grace and knowledge." That kind of growth will help

you deal with conflict with your spouse, exhibit grace on the highway,

and find your way