I am. Kind of, I mean. Not a total cynic. I am a bit of a skeptic when it comes to many things. Some atheists would probably scoff at that thought, but that is just that I am skeptical of their lack of faith, while they are skeptical of my faith.

There is nothing wrong with skepticism. It must not dominate your mind, but without it, we would be “blown about by every wind of doctrine,” or have minds “like waves tossed about by the wind.”

Nevertheless, I am more skeptical than most. I was raised by skeptics – really good ones – and that makes me a skeptic of skeptics, a logician of logicians and a critic bred of critics. As to the doubters, flawless. You get the picture.

Now, that is the natural man in me. The Holy Spirit at work in me causes me to become more nurturing, trusting and -gulp- forgiving of those not quite up to my standards. (Yes, skeptics make great legalists…)

Well, He’s working on me anyway. :)

That is why I roll my eyes at New Year’s Resolutions. “Oh, please!” I say. “If you are all fired up to make these changes in your life, why did you wait? Why not diet in November and December when it might actually help you?” The evidence is also on my side. These things never work out. You will do them for a while and then quit. Gym regulars hate January and February when Resolute Patrons come in, hog the machines and crowd the floor… until they are no longer resolute. It starts thinning at about 6 weeks.

I think most resolutions fail because they are impossible for anyone but the Lord, Jesus, Himself. “I will pray for one hour every day.”

Really?

Now I know people who do that. At times in my life, it has been me. But you don’t just start to do that if you haven’t been growing into it. Why not, “I will pray sincerely every day.” Let it grow into an hour or more.

So I ask you again. Are you a cynic? If so, move on. Nothing else for you to see.

If, however, you are a true believer…

If you have been a little irritated by the post thus far…

If you have made it thus far, but you don’t know quite why…

I offer you my New Year’s Resolutions. :D

• I am resolved to spend time alone with God every day. Unless absolutely impossible, it will be structured because the best growth I have ever experienced was a structured time and my shrugging off the legalism of it has now become a bit of laziness and the allowing of other things to distract me. It will include introspection, praise, confession, thanksgiving, supplication for my own shortcomings and intercession for the needs of others. Of course, it will also include marinating in the Word of God.

• I am resolved to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ beyond the confines of my personal comfort. This will include, specifically, at least one mission trip to Vietnam, but will also include mission trips to Lowe’s, Starbucks, Subway, the neighborhood in which I live and the neighborhood in which I worship.

• I am resolved to take better care of my body by eating less and exercising more. Specifically, I am going to moderate my calorie intake and walk as often as the weather will cooperate. No fad diets. No weights or treadmills. I will, however, need a new iPod, since my old one has bitten the dust. Think that will work with my wife?

• I am resolved to establish several new relationships that will challenge me in ministry at the church, personal spiritual growth and personal growth that has nothing whatsoever to do with church.

• I am resolved to spend more time with my family. Specifically, I will date my wife more and take my kids out on their own – just me and them. We went to see Alvin and the Chipmunks before Christmas while my wife was still in school. It was awesome and we had a great time.

• I am resolved to be less cynical. I will do everything I can to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit, trust where He leads and question that which stands opposed to His Word. I will allow less sophisticated offerings to God from those who are less experienced and less educated… those not quite as, ahem, perfect as me (tongue firmly in the cheek)… to be just that: imperfect offerings of imperfect children of God. Certainly they are no less appreciated than my precisely crafted offerings with flaws just as glaring to the God who receives them both, even if they are not apparent to me.

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