Many talk of New Year’s resolutions but very few follow through on them. This leaves us disillusioned and trusting ourselves a little less. Instead of the resolution bringing us some order and peace, thinking we now have some solution and some control over problems in our lives, it brings disappointment, hopelessness and added stress. This hopelessness and stress is due to not living in harmony with ourselves, realizing we lack integrity when it comes to making a promise to ourselves! The more we lie to ourselves the easier it becomes because we stop believing ourselves and the voice of the conscience becomes quieter and quieter.
How many New Years have you been breaking promises you have made to yourself? We are creatures of habit, so the more we do it the easier it becomes! Without integrity, we are a divided person because “integrity” means a quality or state of being complete and undivided. When we make a resolution in haste while our hearts are saying “ no way!” we have become a divided person. To have a heart of integrity we must say what we mean and mean what we say! Shakespeare said it well “To thine own self be true”.
When we are not true to ourselves, our consciences convict us. But what do we do with that conviction? If we ignore it or try to drown it out with activity or entertainment, so we don’t have to spend time alone with inner selves, that voice of conscience will become quieter and quieter, until we have no integrity left. With that integrity will go our peace because we have come to a place where we no longer live in harmony with our own conscience.
1Tim.1:19 Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:
Our world is searching for answers, but they are looking for answers from real, authentic people with integrity. I dare to say that if we have not integrity with our own beings, it is very unlikely that we will be able to authenticate our Christian walk to others. If we break promises and lie to ourselves, it is more likely we will break promises and lie to others because we will have silenced the voice of our conscience.
For the year 2013 the Lord has impressed upon my heart to grow in INTEGRITY and be a whole person, body, soul and spirit. In order to be that whole person I need BALANCE in each area of my being, body, soul and spirit. It will involve external discipline. Moving along the upward spiral requires us to LEARN, COMMIT, and DO on increasingly higher planes. We deceive ourselves if we think that any one of these is sufficient. To keep progressing, we must LEARN, COMMIT, and DO –LEARN, COMMIT, and DO — LEARN, COMMIT, and DO again…..This year promise yourself that you will not be “all talk” but will keep your word to yourself.
Wherever the year 2013 takes you, may the road be paved with solid commitments, placed with balance and cemented in integrity. As a step towards this assignment of pursuing integrity and balance, I want to encourage each of us to make one realistic commitment to ourselves in each of the three areas of our being, body, soul and spirit.
Job 31:6 Let me be weighed in an even balance that God may know mine integrity.
CHALLENGE:
1. What one thing are you willing to commit to do in 2013 to mature spiritually?
2. What one thing are you willing to commit to do in 2013 to take better care of your body?
3. What one thing are you willing to commit to do in 2013 to improve your emotional well being?
I gave up making any resolutions a long time ago, when I realized that I wouldn’t keep them anayway. If you don’t make a promise you won’t break any.