The Best New Year’s Resolution Ever

I am a New Year’s resolution maker.

I know. I’ve heard all the reasons not to be. You’re setting yourself up for failure. It’s pointless. Discouraging, etc., etc., etc.

But.

I can’t help myself. I am a procrastinator by nature and if I don’t set goals – goals with deadlines – then I’m liable to end up wandering around my house aimlessly wearing my pajamas and eating chocolate for breakfast 363 out of the 365 days of the year. And besides that, I think there’s something to be said for having some specific, measurable, and attainable goals to work towards.

So last week, just like I always do the first week of every year, I sat down with my list pad and my pen and started making categories and writing down goals. I won’t share them all with you now, but there are some good ones – take a sewing class, make and implement a Deep Clean Schedule, upload all our pictures to Shutterfly, make my own baby food, potty train my two year old, etc. etc.

I may not be able to keep them all and I’m ok with that. I don’t stress about about what I don’t get done.

(Well, ok. I might stress out about the potty training one. Because, the diapers! They might just put us in the poorhouse!)

Anyway.

My lists were made and I was feeling pretty good about what I set to accomplish in 2011.

And then we went to church on Sunday. We watched seven people who had recently placed their trust in Christ stand up and give their testimonies before being baptized.

I love hearing the gospel from the lips of new believers, it will never get old to me, but something one of them said really stuck out to me. Tony, a man in his sixties who had just recently accepted Christ said that he only has one New Year’s resolution – to praise and glorify God in everything he does.

Woah.

Now, I’ve been a Christian for going on 21 years now, yet still I need to be reminded not to get so slogged down with my check lists and my to do’s and my earthly goals that I forget the bigger picture.

Because, quite frankly, it doesn’t really matter if I become a master seamstress or figure out the most efficient way to deep clean my house, if I’m not doing it to the glory of God, it’s not worth doing.

I won’t be throwing out my To Do lists or giving up on all my New Year’s Resolutions, but I will be looking at them with a different perspective. Because every single thing on my list can be done to the glory of God, and I want that to be uppermost in my mind as I go about my day.

So, my 2011 New Year’s Resolution:

Soli Deo gloria 
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
I Corinthians 10:31

Thanks for the reminder, Tony.

Now, off to potty train. For the glory of God :)