The Tomorrow Syndrome

12 Jan

“Promises are like the full moon, if they are not kept at once they diminish day by day.”
~ German Proverb

We are in Day Twelve of the New Year.  For many people, our New Year Resolutions might already have gone by the wayside.  What makes it so hard to keep our resolutions?

Probably, for most people, the resolutions that were made were not terribly achievable.  They may have been made at the spur of the moment, they may have been made at the insistence of another, or they may have been made halfheartedly.  No matter how they were made, they may not be going so well.

“Promises are like the full moon, if they are not kept at once they diminish day by day.”  How true.  If we made a resolution for the New Year but decided that we were going to carry it out tomorrow or next week or next month, we may as well take out the eraser and wipe it from our list.  That resolution will never be kept.

When we make a resolution, we need to pounce on it.  We need to begin immediately if we are going to have any chance at all of being successful.

The same holds for our spiritual resolutions.  If we promised ourselves that we are going to read more scripture, well, guess what?  We actually need to have a Bible, not just consider purchasing one.  We need to open the Bible.  We need to set a certain amount of time each day to read from it.  If we promised to pray more, we have to create a time in our daily schedules to spend in prayer.  If we promised to involve ourselves in some kind of Church ministry, we need to call the person in charge of that ministry and get our name on the list.

Resolutions, like promises, are not supposed to be spoken.  They are supposed to be accomplished.  And not tomorrow; but, today.

The other beautiful thing about resolutions is that we get second chances, and third chances, and as many chances as we need.  Your resolution did not go so well?  No problem.  Resolve again.  And this time, do it.

FAITH ACTION:  Are you waning in your New Year Resolutions?  Do what you can to continue carrying them out.