7 New Year's Resolutions Guaranteed to Maintain Another Year of Spiritual Mediocrity

Last updated on: January 1, 2014 at 9:00 am by Josh Daffern

7 New Year's Resolutions Guaranteed to Maintain Another Year of Spiritual Mediocrity 2014-01-01T09:00:24-06:00 Josh Daffern

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Everyone makes New Year’s resolutions, although many of us don’t keep them. These seven resolutions are guaranteed to work if you want to maintain another year of spiritual mediocrity:

1. Go to church whenever there’s nothing else going on that weekend. Make sure that church involvement is right up there at the top of your priorities (right behind college football, hunting season, travel soccer, weekend getaways, visiting family, and forgetting to set the alarm).

2. Give to God if you’ve got a bunch of money left over at the end of the month. This one’s guaranteed to work, because you never have enough money lying around at the end of the month.

3. Forgive only if you’re forgiven first. Don’t let go of those bitter grudges until the offending party has properly groveled before you and begged your forgiveness. I’m sure that offending slight that happened six months ago has dominated their thoughts ever since.

4. Sacrificially serve only when you ‘feel’ like it. You can take this one to the bank. Do you know how many times you ‘feel’ like sacrificing your time, energy or resources for someone else? Never!

5. Resolve to teach or lead others once you feel fully prepared and ready to do it. This will help you stay on the sidelines all year long. No one ever feels adequately prepared to serve in a leadership role. They just have to do it anyways.

6. Determine to tackle a big challenge once it seems easy enough. Don’t climb that mountain until it shrinks itself into the size of a hill. This resolution works great with monetary debt, since debt usually grows smaller on its own over time, doesn’t it?

7. Decide to follow God on the adventure of faith as long as you know how it’s all going to turn out. Don’t take a step until God gives you the full picture of where this step of faith will take you. I mean, he’s never asked people to actually take a step of ‘faith’ before, has he? (Besides Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David, Jonah, Peter, Paul and basically everyone else in the Bible).

QUESTION: What other resolutions would you add to this list?

Previous Post

December 31, 2013

#1: Park Stevens Funeral Message

Next Post

January 3, 2014 God's Double Agent, by Bob Fu

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Family Matters Ministry in the Trenches Morning Brew MTVpastor New Wineskins Top Menu Truth from Life Uncategorized Watch Sermons

Select a Month June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What did Jesus use to heal blind man?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Water Oil Cloth Mud and saliva