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What is the Point of Making New Year’s Resolutions?

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Jonathan Edwards HandThis time of year prompts many people to make New Year's resolutions-even if they know they made the same ones last year with no real evident change. The most common resolutions are dieting and exercise, finances and something to do with relationships (marriage, family).

Most resolutions are broken within the first week of proclaiming them. Some questions that come to mind: What is the benefit of making a resolution? Are they even a biblical practice and how can they be redeemed? Do they have any lasting effect on changing a person? Are these changes superficial and carnally-controlled or are they Spirit-changed?

Jonathan Edwards drafted 70 resolutions to guide his life at 19 years of age. The young man who would become a leading figure in the First Great Awakening took his faith seriously. In several sittings over a one-year period, Edwards drafted these resolutions by which he governed his life and ministry.

In order to grasp Edward's extensive list, I have separated it into five areas. The full document reflects these categories.

1) CONCERNING MY PERSONAL DEVOTION TO GOD, I RESOLVE... (glorifying God, prayer, scripture, confession, faith, consecration, worship, etc)
2) CONCERNING MY SACRIFICIAL SERVICE TO GOD, I RESOLVE... (time management, areas of service, building the kingdom, church involvement, etc.)
3) CONCERNING MY HOLINESS AS A CHILD OF GOD, I RESOLVE... (examination of life, sin, confession, repentance, obedience, corrupt nature, etc.)
4) CONCERNING MY PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS, I RESOLVE... (attitude toward others, anger, vengefulness, bitterness, forgiveness, speaking about others, truthfulness, love, family members, neighbors, co-workers, fellow-students, etc.)
5) CONCERNING MY PERSONAL DISCIPLINE, I RESOLVE... (mental discipline, physical discipline, spiritual discipline, moral discipline, emotional discipline, social discipline, academic discipline, etc.)

Download the organized version of Edward's Resolutions here.