Speaking of New Year’s Resolutions

Posted on January 22, 2024 by Elizabeth Welte in Freedom Fighters

I recently came across an interesting article about the Puritan preacher Jonathan Edwards. He was committed to a life of holy living and had a huge impact on thousands of lives.

I find myself asking what makes these men tick, what I can learn from their lives, and what the driving principles in their lives were.

Jonathan Edwards penned a list of Resolutions, which he read regularly. Being an avid list guy, I found this to be very powerful.

 

I am going to share some of his list with you in the next several Freedom Fighters.

He started out every day with this list, and here was his introduction to it:

Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God’s help, I do humbly entreat him by his grace to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ’s sake.

Remember to read over these Resolutions once a week:

1. Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God’s glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriad’s of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many and how great soever.
2. Resolved, to be continually endeavoring to find out some new invention and contrivance to promote the aforementioned things.
3. Resolved, if ever I shall fall and grow dull, so as to neglect to keep any part of these Resolutions, to repent of all I can remember, when I come to myself again.
4. Resolved, never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God; nor be, nor suffer it, if I can avoid it.
5. Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.
6. Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.
7. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.
8. Resolved, to act, in all respects, both speaking and doing, as if nobody had been so vile as I, and as if I had committed the same sins, or had the same infirmities or failings as others; and that I will let the knowledge of their failings promote nothing but shame in myself, and prove only an occasion of my confessing my own sins and misery to God.
9. Resolved, to think much on all occasions of my own dying, and of the common circumstances which attend death.
10. Resolved, when I feel pain, to think of the pains of martyrdom, and of hell.

 

Wow, is that not an intense list? Would you take some time and read through the list this week? I am planning to do that daily and trust you will join me.

Have a blessed week. Do I appreciate you? I sure do, my friend.

Embraced by God,

Bill Welte, CEO
America’s Keswick

Email:bwelte@americaskeswick.org

 

Written by Dr. Bill Welte: Bill has been the President & CEO of America’s Keswick for 26+ years, living and breathing Keswick’s message of Victory every day. He has an empowering gift with people leaving each one with an impressionable sense of God’s love, grace, and truth. He hosts & leads various Keswick events, as well as speaking at numerous churches in the tri-state area. He now lives off-campus with his childhood sweetheart of 40+ years, Jan. They have four married kids and 12 amazing grandkids. In his personal time, he loves to read and weekly writes for Keswick’s Freedom Fighter blogs.

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This Week’s Verse to Memorize: “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.  He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” – 1 John 4:7-8