Now that we have officially entered the year of 2020, I want to consider and comment on a few of the common resolutions that many people have made concerning the new year.
Perhaps at the top of the list are resolutions that fit into the category of breaking bad habits.
With that having been stated, I am going to focus and comment on a few of the primary bad habits that many are going to be struggling to overcome in the year of 2020.
In my opinion, the most detrimental bad habit that many will be battling to stop is smoking. Cigarette smoking and the grave consequences that thousands are reaping through contracting cancer, emphysema, and other respiratory disorders. Having witnessed a few of my relatives and friends die from smoking related diseases, I am certainly praying and pulling for those who are trying to kick the nicotine habit.
Then there is the bad habit of drunkenness that is at the root of many evils like car wrecks, the ruining of marriages and families, cirrhosis of the liver, and a quiet a few other alcohol related ills.
Again, I have witnessed the grave effect and destructive consequences that drunkenness has inflicted upon many families and innocents who suffered, due to the fact of having loved ones who were drunkards.
So, I will be rooting for all those who have made resolutions to stop drinking and especially to the degree of drunkardness.
Although, I cannot consider and comment on all the bad habits that many have made a resolution to overcome this year, but I will be praying and pulling for everyone who will be putting forth a serious effort to overcome any bad and debilitating habit.
Many have made resolutions in other areas that are very important to their well-being that they are determined to achieve in 2020.
Losing weight is one of the most common goals of many in the year of 2020. For various reasons, like health care, a slimmer build, and a personal confidence booster for many. Losing weight is a resolution that they will strive to achieve this year.
To be perfectly honest, it is one of the things that is high on my list of achievements for the year of 2020. There is a category that I will label as the miscellaneous list that we are going to consider and comment on.
There are many things in this category that we are going to briefly comment on and conclude with that people are resolute to accomplish in this new year. There are those, like me, who have made a personal decree that they are going to break the habit of procrastination this year; putting off or delaying things that need attending today until tomorrow. Procrastination can be costly in many areas of life and even fatal if your health is involved.
I have known quite a few people who are not with us today, due to putting off going to the doctor, when they had early symptoms of cancer or some terminal disease. Then there were others who were genetically predisposed, due to knowing that they had close relatives, like parents or grandparents. who had a certain illness who foolishly delayed going to the doctor.
Regrettably, many of these people have reaped the grave consequences of their mistake of putting off or ignoring what needed urgent and immediate attention to some future time that provided disastrous.
Another great concern that is quite common is worrying about people or problems that you have no power to change or remedy.
I am quite certain that this is one of the areas where some have made a resolution to stop being a worry wart.
After all, all that such self-induced anxiety does is to exacerbate and further complicate matters.
If you are in the number of those who have made it a new year’s resolution to stop worrying, there is a saying that I have been reciting for years that have greatly aided me in winning the battle of worrying.
It says that “I am very much concerned, but not the least bit worried.”
There are, of course, many other things that people have made resolutions about concerning the year of 2020 that I do not have the space and time to consider and comment on.
However, I will use as my final consideration regarding resolutions for the new year, something that is extremely and eternally more important than everything else I have cited in this column today.
There are some out there who have made a resolution to get right with God in 2020.
They have been pondering the thought of truly giving their life to Jesus Christ for some time and have declared that this is the year.
Well, if you are in that category, there is no time like now; for tomorrow is not promised to you. I have known some who intended to get saved at a certain time, who never got the chance to do so because they suffered an untimely death before the time, they set for themselves to be saved came. I am going to close with these very appropriate passages that address the issue infinitely better than I ever could.
“Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon” (Isaiah 55:6-7).
“For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).