Resolved to be Better

I’ve never been too keen on New Year’s resolutions. After all, why should I need a calendar date to make any change in my habits or lifestyle? I can change something just as well on December 28^th as I can on January 1^st, but the fact is we mark New Year’s day as a new beginning and a place to start over. With that in mind, I’ve made a list of 3 things I want to do better in 2017.

1. Love my neighbor better.

Of course this begs the question, “Who is my neighbor?” My neighbor is anyone I encounter. It’s the single mom with her two kids in front of me in the check-out line at the grocery store who comes up a few dollars short to pay for her items and I happen to have a $20 bill in my wallet. It’s the guy on the freeway who carelessly whips in front of me to cut me off (I need a lot of grace on this one!). It’s the homeless man. It’s the guy who has the complete opposite political views than me. In a nutshell, I want to be less focused on myself and more aware that there are those around me every day who need love.

2. Be a better listener. (when my wife reads this, she’ll respond with an Amen!)

I want to be a better listener to other people. Instead of hearing a couple of words and immediately making a pre-judgment (prejudice), I could actually listen to them with an open mind and try to understand where they’re coming from. Sometimes we can be so anxious to let our point of view be known, that we fail to really hear the other person.

“Whoever answers before listening is both foolish and shameful.”

Proverbs 18:13

3. Pray better.

Not more, just better. When Jesus taught his disciples how to pray, he said –

“In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven…”     

Jesus didn’t just give them a suggestion, he gave them an actual prayer to pray. When I pray in this way, it aligns my life with heaven. This is not about praying eloquent prayers, it is about me aligning myself with heaven’s intentions. There is something powerful that takes place when we make time to pray.

I’m not talking about praying over your meal. This is about spending time, one-on-one, with Jesus. And in that time, not only talking to God, but listening to him as well.

This blog has been short and to the point this week. I could probably come up with many more, but these are the three “biggies” right now.

What do you want to do better in 2017? I would love to hear your thoughts.

See you next year,

Kevin