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, as we think that we now have some solution and some control over problems in our lives, it brings us disappointment in ourselves, 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 that we don’t have to spend time alone with our 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.

1Timothy 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 within our own beings, it is very likely that we will not 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 2016 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. But it will involve external discipline. Moving along this 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 again…..In other words “Sharpen the Saw”. This year promise yourself that you will not be “all talk” but keep your word to yourself.

E.g. To be in the Word continually with a “just me and God” mentality is out of balance. God created us as social beings to interact with each other. In fact it is through our relationships that our spiritual walk is tested as we respond to each other. You cannot live as a hermit Christian. That would be as foolish as cutting off your hand and expecting it to function without the rest of your body. We, as believers, individually are only a part of the Body, to function we need to be associated with the other parts of the Body. We need each other! On the other hand to be a social butterfly with a “too busy for time alone with God” mentality is also out of balance. Jesus died to restore that which was lost in the Garden, our fellowship with God. Even ministry, if it keeps us from time alone with God, can be out of balance. We all must have time to be a “Mary” but also find the time to be a “Martha”. 

We were also created as mental beings with reasoning and choice. As it has been said, “ A mind is a terrible thing to waste”. If we are feeding our minds on destructive and poisonous material via our choice of reading material or television programs, we are wasting this God given attribute. This is as destructive to the mind as feeding the body with poisonous food. Feed your mind on a healthy, balanced diet of the Word of God, but also be open to “windows to your soul” just in everyday living, through enjoying reading, art, music, television and movies. Finally train your mind to think on the “good things” and bring every thought into the captivity of Christ.

We should also be good stewards of our bodies. We need to exercise and eat healthy, because if we do not look after our bodies, we will have nowhere to live! But if that time to exercise is at the expense of time to spend with family and friends or at the expense of our time alone with God, it is in excess and out of balance. 

CHALLENGE: 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, spirit, soul and body.

1. What one thing are you willing to commit to do in 2016 to mature spiritually?

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2. What are you willing to commit to do in 2016 to improve your soul being in each of the following attributes of your soul? Your soul being is your emotions, your mind and your relationship to others.

a) What one thing are you willing to commit to do in to improve your emotional well being?

b) What one thing are you willing to commit to do to develop your mind?  

c) What one thing are you willing to commit to do to grow socially?

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3. What one thing are you willing to commit to do in 2016 to take better care of your body?     

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1 Thessalonians 5:23  And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.