January 3, 2011
Resolved
Excerpt from Hebrews 11:13-22
“By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac. He who had received the promises was ready to offer up his only son . . . . He considered the fact that God is able even to raise someone from the dead—and figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.”
Reflection by Christina Villa
It’s January 3, and your New Year’s resolutions are now three days old. How are you doing? If you’re like me, resolutions to do things differently from now on start to fade when the special times of holidays or vacations are over. It’s back to the old grind, to business as usual, and all the familiar coping mechanisms gradually start to kick in again.
What we need are more days like January 1. Days of resolve, when we believe in our ability to improve ourselves, be better people, achieve at last that long-desired goal. Maybe the reason so many New Year’s resolutions fade so quickly is that we’re relying just on our own resolve to stick to them—relying on faith in ourselves. Maybe we need faith in something more, in a promise like the one Abraham relied on from God. We have all received the promises of God, so why don’t we just go ahead and dare to leave behind the coping mechanisms, the bad habits, the stuck-in-a-rut routines?
The inspiration of a vacation or New Year’s Day isn’t enough. Willpower wavers in the face of a whole year of familiar life ahead of us. But that year has 365 days, each of which is new—not just January 1. Pick a day—any day—to consider, like Abraham, “the fact that God is able even to raise someone from the dead.” And then decide what startling new thing you will have faith that God can bring to life in you.
Prayer
OK, God, next Saturday—and I really mean Saturday—I am going to start / stop ________________. I’ve never been able to follow through on this before. And maybe I won’t this time. But eventually I will, because I have a promise from you. Amen
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About the Author
Christina Villa is on the staff of the United Church of Christ in Cleveland, Ohio.
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