Making spiritual resolutions
Dec. 31—New Year's resolutions — breaking them is about as much of a tradition as making them for many of us, but the Rev. Tom Purdy has some tips on making faith-based resolutions you can stick to.
"The biggest thing about resolutions is to be kind to ourselves. Things that are sensing as a burden we don't want to do," says Purdy, pastor of Christ Church Frederica. "If you're thinking of a spiritual growth resolution, you don't want that to happen. You want to give yourself grace because God gives you grace."
The way he sees it, there are two kinds of resolutions when faith is involved. There's a resolution centered on faith — like reading the Bible more often or praying more frequently — and there are those that may be secular in nature but for which we use faith as a motivator.
"Losing weight, you can put a spiritual spin on that as a motivation," Purdy says. "God commands us to love ourselves, taking care of your health is one way to do that."
He had three simple suggestions that many try: reading the Bible in a year, praying every day and going to church every week.
No matter which one you choose, always remember to be forgiving of yourself, he reiterated.
Another tip is to prepare a game plan in advance.
If your goal is to read scripture but reading the Bible from the book of Genesis to Revelations doesn't seem doable, check Google for some reading plans. There are tons of programs, he says, that might be just what you need. Some reading lists have you read books or verses in a certain order based on chronology or theology, while some might mix the more dry or dull books with the more interesting ones to keep the reading lively.
"When (will you read)? Do you have a Bible? Will you read it with anyone else?" He said, listing off some key aspects to nail down before you start.
You might also try basing this on time. Instead of a chapter or number of verses a day, just set aside a few minutes every morning and don't sweat your progress.
"You're going to miss some days," he assured. "You can catch up later, maybe it'll take you more than a year."
If going to church every Sunday seems like a hard bar to hurdle, settle for just once a month and go from there. Changing behaviors is difficult, and sometimes it happens over time.
That can really apply to anything — instead of focusing on a target weight, commit to exercising for a time or incorporating different foods into your diet.
Again, make sure the goals are attainable. Praying for an hour a day isn't for everyone.
"There's no one way to do it, but maybe five minutes is a good place to start," Purdy said.
It's also very important to realize that bending a resolution is much better than breaking it. Taking a short break from a resolution, or lessening your commitment, is much better than simply giving up. It also builds a foundation on which to take on larger and more impactful goals.
This has a special meaning when it comes to faith, as well. Everyone's faith waxes and wanes.
"Spiritual life ebbs and flows naturally. We're more attuned to God in some seasons, and more distant from him in others. It's not going to be static month to month," Purdy says.
You don't have to go it alone, either. He suggests finding a friend with which to take on your resolution.
"If there's someone you can share it with, who you can check in with, they can be an accountability partner. Somebody you want to talk to about prayer, who will be supportive and not nag you," he joked.
