Wednesday, April 12, 2006

What Am I Going to Do About It?

(*See previous post "Do Something")

Resolutions:

I know that on my own apart from God's grace I can't keep any of the following resolutions. I make these resolutions crying out to my Savior Jesus Christ for help.

1.) I am committed to finding ways to remind myself and others of the needs that do exist in this world on a regular basis.
2.) I am committed to asking myself what sins lay behind my materialism. Is it because I don't believe God can really take care of me? Is it because I don't believe what Jesus says about God's attitude towards me? Is it because I've made my own personal comfort more important than the kingdom? Is it because I am acting as if I am Lord of my life and not Jesus? Is it because I feel like I have a right to spend my money the way I want? When I see better the sins beneath my materialism - to repent immediately.
3.) I am committed to taking Paul's words in 1 Timothy 6:10,11 seriously "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people eager for money have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. But you man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness."
4.) I am committed to asking God for help on a regular basis that I would put my trust in Him and not what I have.
5.) I am committed when I begin to complain about what I don't have to imagine myself as a Christian living in a place like Sudan and to pray for them instead of complaining about myself.
6.) I am committed to reminding myself that everything I have belongs to God - and to be ready to gladly give it up if it is needed. I am committed, if there is something that I am not willing to give up to God - to ask myself why? And if needed, to be radical and give that up quickly.
7.) I am committed to thinking of other Christians like family and being willing to sacrifice for family.
8.) I am committed to take Jesus' words about what it means to be a disciple seriously and not to allow the example of others or the way that some downplay those words to distract me.
9.) I am committed to finding good examples of people who are sacrificing for Christ and learning from those examples rather than using the bad examples of many as a guide.
10.) I am committed to asking other people to help me figure out what we can do specifically about the needs we see in the world around us. I am committed to getting small groups together to ask the question - how can we better help those who are hurting in this world?
11.) I am committed to coming up with at least one specific plan to put into action in the next year.
12.) I am committed to enjoying what God has given me with thanksgiving. I am committed to believing the gospel and not to give in order to earn God's favor but because I have God's favor. I am committed to believing that if I gave up everything I had and lived in the poorest parts of the world, I would not be any more worthy of salvation than I am now - that my only hope in both cases is Jesus Christ. I am committed to believing that God is for me because of what Jesus did - and that because of that there is really no risk in obedience.
13.) I am committed to examining what I think are my needs and asking if they really are needs or if they simply are desires.
14.) I am committed to going to serve God with my family to help and serve the poor if He allows.

What about you?

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