Resolve to Keep Your Resolutions

“Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots?”  This is the pointed rhetorical question asked by the prophet Jeremiah in Jeremiah 13: 23.  He poses this question to make the point that no more can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots than can people who are accustomed to doing evil change themselves and start doing good instead.  This was primarily applied to Judah, but is instructive to unravelling the plight of human beings in general. 

The seeming desperation and hopelessness of the condition of Judah was aptly captured in Jeremiah 14 where the ravages of a drought made the varied attempts of farmers to cultivate crops frustrating efforts of futility.  This narrative provided an ideal object lesson of the bent to failure of one trying to change one’s self. 

These frustrating efforts of futility that are bent to failure could explain the cynicism with which many persons today view making resolutions at the onset of a new year.   But the good news is that much like the hope of Judah was in God, so in God today there is hope in making good on our new year’s resolutions; resolutions do make sense.  

Furthermore, notwithstanding the seemingly unchanging nature of the Ethiopian’s and leopard’s skins, skin cells change – although in a fundamentally different sense than how it is addressed in scripture, and is especially obvious in snakes that are famous for leaving their remains behind after shedding the old for the new.  It is interesting to note also that it is at this time of shedding that healing to the skin usually occurs.  This phenomenon reveals that it is a natural thing to experience renewal in life.  This renewal is usually present at the making of resolutions.  



Here, however, are a few things to bear in mind when making resolutions: 

Do not limit resolutions to a set time.  Resolutions are not a response to a point in time; it is a response to an undesirable state of affairs at a point in time.  This means that you don’t just make a resolution because a new year is about to begin.  Resolutions are made either because things around you have changed or you have changed.  For example, the expectations of the job may be changed, or your expectations of your job or your life in general have changed.  These changes, like the generation of new cells stimulate the change of a snake’s skin, should inform our perceived need to change how things are done by us.  These changes should determine the resolutions we make. 

Understand why you need to make a resolution.  A resolution is not to be made in response to peer pressure.  Neither should it be done to make a good impression on people.  Reasons like these are superficial and generally not sustainable.  A resolution should be aligned to life goals which will fit it with the general trajectory of your life. 

Resolutions should build you up, not burn you out.  Therefore, make them practical and manageable. 

Resolutions should be measurable.  Here’s a weird truth, if you’re standing in a queue in bank and you see people moving up to the tellers but somehow the line is not moving, though you know it to be otherwise you can’t help feeling like you’re not getting any closer to the time you will actually get through – you want the line to move.  The measured sense of getting closer to the target physically does make you feel a whole lot better, and it makes it less likely that you will feel like you need to come back at a later time.  When you are able to measure your progress it encourages you to persist and not to quit.

Find an accountability partner.  This person should not be a nice, pushover.  It should be someone you respect (maybe a mentor), who is knowledgeable and objective.  You should be satisfied that the individual has your best interest at heart. 

Resolutions should fit.  Resolutions should fit with your time and resource budgets.  They should also fit within you value system.  Without the support of time, resource and values resolutions will atrophy.  Sometimes creating the fit may require you to cut off the cable, change the plan on the phone, change your address, make a standing order arrangement at the bank – or better yet do salary deductions, change the supermarket where you should, break up and replace an existing relationship. 

Make God your primary partner.  Through prayer and diligent study of God’s word, through meditation and loving obedience to God’s will we are assured that all things are possible through Christ who strengthens us. Phil. 4: 13.  We are here reminded of the rich young ruler who went away sorrowful because he was not willing to do as Jesus commanded.  Though Jesus made the point that it was as easy for a rich man to make it into his Kingdom as it would be for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, He ended the statement with the assurance that though with man this is impossible, with God all things are possible.   Mark 10: 27.  He who had the solution to Judah’s severe drought, who has the solution to the rich man’s plight, has the solution to the drought-like frustrations we often face when, on our own, we try to change our lives and make our resolutions work.  Let God lead you to make new resolutions and let him give you the resolve to keep them.

Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing

Keep the main thing the main thing. Focusing on the gold medal at the beginning of an event is the ultimate purpose, of your entering and preparing to become the best at all you can be. No athlete strives for the bronze or better yet silver; each desires the gold, to be first, to be the champion. Though ‘there is many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip, keeping the main thing the main thing is pivotal to success. In this a year of the World Olympics, to be held in London, Jamaica is considered the sprint capital of the world and having many world leading sprinters at the top of their games in the track and field arena. "RISE EACH TIME YOU FALL" They all lined up so full of hope, each thought to win the race  Or tie for first or if not that at least take a second place.  And parents watched from off the side, each cheering for their child  Each one hoped to show his folks that he would be the one.  The whistle blew and off they went, young hearts and hopes afire  To win and be the hero there was each runner's desire.  And one runner in particular whose dad was in the crowd  Was running near the lead and thought, "my dad will be so proud!"  But as they speeded down the field across the shallow dip  The runner who thought to win lost his step and slipped  Trying hard to catch himself his hands flew out to brace  And mid the laughter of the crowd he fell fiat on his face.  So down he fell and with him hope - he could not win it now.  Embarrassed, sad he only wished to disappear somehow;  But as he fell his dad stood up and showed his anxious face  Which to the boy so clearly said "Get up and win the race."  He quickly rose no damage done - to catch up and to win -  His mind went faster than his legs; he slipped and fell again  I'm hopeless as a runner now, I shouldn't try to race."  But in the laughing crowd he searched and found his father's face  That steady look which said again. "Get up and win the race."  So up he jumped to try again - ten yards behind the last.  "If I'm trying to gain those yards", he thought, "I've got to move real fast!"  Exerting everything he had he regained eight of ten,  But trying so hard to catch the lead, he slipped and fell again.  Pause.“ You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD himself, is the Rock eternal.:” (Isaiah 26: 3-4). Entering a new semester, students are encouraged to remain focused, keep the main thing the main thing, during school, work, and play as each person has his or her own mandate. Remember of failure is not an option. The author continues:    Defeat! He laid there silently - a tear dropped from his eye  There's no sense running anymore, three strikes I'm out. Why Try?  The will to rise had disappeared; all hope had fled away.  So far behind, so error prone, a loser all the way.  "I've lost so what's the use?" he thought, "I'll have to live with my disgrace"  But then he thought above his dad, who soon he'd have to face.  "Get up!" an echo sounded low. "Get up and take your place."  "With borrowed will get up" he said. "You haven't lost at all.  For winning is no more than this: to rise each time you fall."  So up he rose to run once more and now with new commit  He resolved that win or lose, at least he would not quit.  So far behind the others now, the most he'd ever been  Still he gave it all he had and ran as through to win.  Three times he'd fallen, stumbling; three times he rose again  Too far behind to hope to win, he still ran to the end.  They cheered the winning runner as he crossed the line first place  Head high and proud and happy - no falling, no disgrace,  But when the fallen youngster crossed the line last place,  The crowd gave him a greater cheer for finishing the race.  And even though he came in last, with head bowed low - unproud  You would have thought he'd won the race, to listen to the crowd.  And to his dad he sadly said, "I didn't do so well."  "To me, you won," his father said, "you rose each time you fell."  So when your life seems dark and hard, things difficult to face  Nay the memory of that little boy help you in your race.  For all of life is like a race, with ups and downs and all,  And all you have to do to win is rise each time you fall.  (Extracted) ‘Refuse to fall down. If you do fall, refuse to stay down. Keep getting up. Lift your heart toward heaven like a hungry beggar, ask that it be filled and it will be filled. You may be pushed down, many forces may be against you. But no one can keep you from lifting your heart toward heaven – only you. It is in the middle of misery that so much becomes clear. The one, who says nothing good came of this, is not yet listening.

Mens Sana in Copora Sano

You are finally a university scholar, and the fact that Juvenal an ancient Roman poet said we need ‘Mens Sana in Copora Sano’ (a sound mind in a sound body) means very little to you for it’s all latin; finally, you are out the house and you can decide what suits your life. You will be seeing less of your parents; therefore, you may steer your life in any desired direction. In whatever you do be sure not to compromise your Christian values, beliefs, and practices. Believe it or not, those Christian values and practices include health. Indeed, maintaining a healthy lifestyle while hitting the books is critical during your tenure in university. In spite of the inherent challenges many university students face in trying to keep fit, it is possible to maintain excellent health even for a busy university student. Consuming healthy foods, maintaining an active lifestyle, and getting adequate rest ought to help you to produce A’s and B’s. 

A balanced diet is vital, so make the right choices. Failure to make the right choices will not only lead to poor health but also a mediocre academic performance.  According to the web article, ‘College Eating and Fitness 101’, food is the fuel your brain needs to help you think. Like cellular phones, the brain needs to be charged so that it can work efficiently.  If you skip a meal, you may have trouble concentrating during class. Even if you can't sit down for a full meal, pack a healthy portable snack such as fruit, trail mix, a granola or energy bar, or a sandwich.  

While maintaining proper eating habits is important, it is not enough to sustain the health of a university student. By exercising regularly you will be able to stay energised and upbeat. The article, Tips for College Students on How to Stay Healthy at College, explains that exercise can relieve the daily stress of tests, quizzes, exams, and grades. You can get help at the gym if you are uncertain about the types of exercises that are suitable for you. Membership at the gym is absolutely free so there is no reason for you to avoid exercise. 

Additionally, rest is paramount for outstanding academic performance. Blow dryers can overheat if they are not turned off occasionally during drying. The same applies to university students and studying. According to ‘Tips for College Students on How to Stay Healthy at College’, studying and retaining information can become much more difficult with little or no sleep. While many think that sleep can be made up later, it can really affect a student's performance in just about everything he or she does. A Vegetarian Cookbook and Better Living Guide agrees that the body needs adequate rest along with hard work and exercise. It explains that during the sleeping hours, the body is repaired and invigorated for another day. The practice of pulling ‘all-nighters’ which is a common practice for many college students is also a common route to poor health.  

Now that you understand how to monitor your food intake, the importance of exercise and the need for adequate rest you should be able to perform well. The four or more years at university should be spent well so that you can benefit academically. By following these simple guidelines you will increase your chances of graduating with honours.