Resolutions: Don’t Wait To Make A Good Decision

Yesterday a man from Oklahoma called me. He was despondent. He was looking for financial assistance — again. This man is about 37 years old.

He was raised in a Christian home, affirms that he is a Christian, has spent time memorizing Scripture, sung in church choirs and gospel quartets, played his instrument in church orchestras, led in Bible studies, and discussed theology and history with others. He had a good-paying job. This man is loved by many people because he is fun to be with. We’ll call him Jake.

But Jake is in jail. Bond is $57,000, with a cash requirement of $5,700. The family cannot pay it and he’ll be in for awhile. What happened to Jake?

I talked with some of his family members. They told me about a statement Jake made while a teenager. The statement was: “I want to live a life of sin; that way, when I get older, I’ll have a good testimony of how God saved me from a bad life.” And he purposely turned to a life of alcohol, drugs, sex, and gambling, and has wrecked every car he had.

Jake doesn’t remember that resolution, but he told me, “A person will never change his way of life until he decides to change. Whether it’s through Teen Challenge, secular counseling, Alcoholics Anonymous, or prison, a man changes only when he wants to change.”

I responded, “So that’s why you’re in jail: you’ve decided not to change. And because of that, I will not help you.” That caught him by surprise. I continued, “Jake, your continual return to your degraded lifestyle confirms that you don’t want to change.”

Jake has been in-and-out of jail five times on various charges. Apparently, he’s a “model” citizen as a prisoner — even leading in Bible studies. He has gone through detox several times and is “clean” when he gets out. But he goes right back to the stuff when he is free.

Free — that’s an interesting concept.

One of Jake’s acquaintances recently told him, “If you would turn to the Lord — truthfully, not merely with lip-service — the Lord would help you. If you would honor the Lord by the way you live, the Lord would help you get out of bondage.”

Jake erupted: “I’m not in bondage!”

His friend squelched the laughter until the phone call was ended. He told me it was funny because Jake is in a three-fold bondage: emotionally, spiritually and physically. Make that four-fold: he’s now in financial bondage.

And it’s all because of that resolution he made many years ago.

How about you, dear reader? Are you in any kind of bondage? Have you made decisions that have hurt you emotionally, spiritually, financially or physically?

Something to remember is: a firm decision is a resolution. Also, a decision becomes a resolution if you don’t modify it.

Many folk like to wait until Jan. 1 to make a resolution. But why wait to make a good decision? Waiting to do the right thing is practicing procrastination.

What would you like to change this coming year? Let’s rephrase it: What have you resolved to change this year?

It takes a simple decision — and ask God to help. That’s a resolution.

Before my parents were married, my mother told dad, “I won’t marry you if you don’t stop smoking.” That was a resolution.

Dad did two things: He decided to quit smoking, and he asked God to help him. That was a resolution. He cooperated with God: that’s the key. He never smoked again and they got married.

If you have a decision — resolution — to make, ask God to help. If you’re sincere and honest with God, He’ll help you. That’s God’s resolution.