Resolutions vs. Repentance

Dictionary.com defines “resolution” as “an act of resolve or determining upon a course of action,” “a resolve or determination,” or my personal favorite, “firmness of purpose.” Sounds kinda, I don’t know, final; doesn’t it?


Well, peeps, it’s a new year. 2011. And there were a whole lot of resolutions made. I’m willing to bet, by now, there are a whole lot of resolutions already put back on the shelf for next year. Think about it. What were your resolutions for this year? Did it have to do with refining your character? Or losing weight? Or being more involved in the lives of those you love?

I didn’t make any resolutions this year. I started to. I want to lose weight, get healthier, be a better mom, a better wife, and you know that whole “gentle quiet spirit” thing that I’m still trying to work on. And then I thought about last year. My resolutions last year were pretty much the exact same things. So if resolutions are supposed to be final, why do I have the same ones as last year? The answer is repentance. I have not repented.

Oh, I made progress. I’ve lost almost 40 pounds since last year. I’ve made strides to be both a better wife and mother. And don’t I have a blog about a gentle, quiet spirit that I update, you know, sporadically? Let’s get real. I didn’t repent. Repentance is a 180-degree turn. It’s walking, if not running, in the exact opposite direction. It’s, as my Garmin tells me often, “making a legal u-turn.” It’s RESOLVING that whatever you were doing, you’re not going to do anymore. It’s RESOLVING that whatever you need to be doing, you’re going to start doing. It’s a “firmness of purpose.” That’s what it is.

I know what you’re thinking, “Oh, Stephanie. You’re taking this too far. It’s just not that serious. “ I disagree. Resolutions are very serious. They are, by definition, repentance. They are a decision to change something, to stray from your current course of action. So if you’re breaking your resolutions, you’re making a choice, and usually a fairly nonchalant one at that, to not repent. And that should be taken very, very serious.

And more than that, resolutions are promises we make to ourselves to change something, to grow, to move forward; and when we break those resolutions we lie to ourselves. Matthew 5:37 says, “Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘yes’ and your ‘No’ ‘no;’ anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” I’d say that’s a little more than just breaking a promise to yourself, wouldn’t you?

So am I saying not to make resolutions? Absolutely not. I’m saying make resolutions, but make them with a “firmness of purpose,” with an intent and action to complete them. Resolve and repent, peeps. Happy 2011!!

Til next time.