New Year Commitments

For the longest time I had absolutely refused to make new years resolutions. I was never good at keeping them, mostly because my resolutions were always trivial in nature. They were always about the same things--committing to go to the gym a certain number of times or sleeping at a moderate hour. Thus, there always lacked a sense of conviction for any of them. And without conviction, there can never be deep change or lasting progress.

This year, I didn't give in to making the same resolutions in the same pattern. Rather, I've adopted a different strategy, though I wouldn't necessarily say this method is strategic.

Instead of making silly resolutions bound to fail, I've decided to make short-term commitments whose purpose is to strengthen my greatest conviction of following Christ as if His words "I am the truth, the life, and the way" were literally engraved in my heart. I want to submit to His Lordship in quiet humility, bold proclamation, and trustful living. And I believe these short-term (one-year) commitments will help in some way.

Before I begin listing them, I hope that you will not run away from here with the wrong idea. I am not publicizing these things to be pharisaic. I do not write this in hopes to project a (falsely) righteous image of myself without any true intention of keeping these commitments. May God my Judge hold me to these words when I approach His throne. The purpose behind this blog post is for accountability. As I have an ugly history of quietly sweeping new years resolutions under the table, I want to pronounce these commitments as a means of keeping them, or at least as a means of not forgetting them. I want to create a pool of witnesses so that these words will not simply be forgotten. If you are reading this now, you are one of my witnesses. Whenever you see me or talk to me, remind me of these things. Ask me how I have been keeping up with my commitments. Examine if I am bearing fruit in my life. Keep me accountable to the words that I utter.

These commitments I pulled from a book I just finished called Radical. I don't want to explain in further  detail (because I want to encourage everyone to read the book) so read it. :)

1. Read the entire Bible

2. Pray for the entire world

3. Sacrifice financially for a specific cause

4. Serve in another context

5. Commit to a multiplying church (commit as in "to further the multiplication process by discipleship and evangelism")

Though I do have specific subgoals for each of these, I won't disclose them here, my reason being that I don't want to. :) If you see me around, feel free to ask how I am doing in any of these categories.

Happy 2012!