This post preserves the New Year’s resolution I carried into 2017: to practise consistency in private and public, grow in the complete fruit of the Holy Spirit and honour God through my work, health, family, studies, service and personal goals.
A Resolution Worth Continuing
This was a New Year’s resolution I had used for several years, and I intended to continue it in 2017. It was not simply a list of achievements. It was a commitment to let God shape my daily habits, private choices and responses to other people.
Be consistent in the small things, respond with the fruit of the Spirit and let private faithfulness prepare me for public challenges.
Daily Commitments
- Work without complaining or arguing. Philippians 2:14 reminds me to do all things without complaining and disputing.
- Work diligently and wholeheartedly. I want to resist laziness and complete my responsibilities with care, remembering the wisdom of Proverbs 10:4 and 12:24.
- Help others quietly whenever I can. I do not need public attention for every act of generosity. Jesus teaches in Matthew 6:1–4 that giving should not become a performance for human praise.
- Receive correction from those who genuinely care. I want to discern the difference between destructive condemnation and loving reproof, as reflected in Proverbs 9:7–8 and 17:10.
- Do not seek spiritual attention. I should not publicise fasting to appear righteous, nor fill conversations with careless words when no contribution is needed. Jesus addresses private fasting in Matthew 6:16–18 and warns about careless speech in Matthew 12:36.
- Be consistent in ordinary responsibilities. Exercise, healthy eating, time with God, time with my child and time with family all matter.
- Choose close influences wisely. Proverbs 22:24–25 warns that repeated patterns can be learned from close company. This does not mean abandoning or despising struggling people; it means guarding the influences that are shaping my own conduct.
The habits no one sees can prepare me either to stand faithfully or to stumble when a visible challenge arrives. Small choices matter.
Responding From What Is Within
Violent people may respond with violence; loving people respond with love. Positive people bring encouragement, hopeful people answer with hope and godly people should increasingly respond with godliness.
My desired response is not governed by the behaviour of the person before me, but by the Spirit of God within me. I want my life to display love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
The Complete Fruit of the Holy Spirit
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”
- Love: love should be visible in my everyday actions.
- Joy: my joy comes from Jesus, not from perfect circumstances. Praise helps turn my attention toward Him, but a difficult or sorrowful day does not mean that He has abandoned me.
- Peace: I desire the peace of God that surpasses understanding, even in times of difficulty.
- Patience: I want to be patient with family, friends and acquaintances, including those who do not share my faith.
- Kindness: I want to show kindness even when I feel that it has not been earned.
- Goodness: I want to act from good intentions without always seeking something in return.
- Faithfulness: I want to be dependable in my relationship with God, my commitments and the responsibilities entrusted to me.
- Gentleness: I want to resist violence, harshness, careless words, destructive speech and condemning attitudes.
- Self-control: I want to practise discipline in eating, exercise, work, speech and other bodily desires. Scripture does not rank self-control above the other fruit, but it remains an important area of growth for me.
Letting the Light Be Seen
Small things matter because people are watching the lives of those who say they follow Christ. Jesus calls His people to shine in a way that directs attention toward the Father rather than themselves.
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
Do Not Live Like a Caterpillar When You Are a Butterfly
My reminder to myself was simple: Do not act like a caterpillar when I am a butterfly. In Christ, I have been called into a transformed life.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
This brings to mind Jesus’ call to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily and follow Him in Luke 9:23. The same call is also recorded in Matthew 16:24. Transformation is not merely a New Year’s idea; it is a daily surrender to Jesus.
Things I Wanted to Be Consistent About in 2017
Physical Health
I wanted to care for my body in a way that honoured God. He gave me this body, and Scripture describes the believer’s body as a temple of the Holy Spirit. My practical commitment was consistent exercise, healthy eating and disciplined habits. See 1 Corinthians 6:19–20.
Spiritual Health
Doing things halfheartedly is not diligence. I wanted to spend time with God morning and night, even if that time began simply by admiring His works and thanking Him for food on the table, a beautiful bird, family, friends and the many other gifts surrounding me.
I also wanted to listen as much as I spoke in prayer. I believed God could draw my attention through both ordinary and unusual circumstances. Any impression, however, should be tested prayerfully against Scripture and God’s revealed character rather than accepted uncritically. See 1 Thessalonians 5:21.
University Studies
I wanted to be diligent and patient in my university studies, even when graduation still appeared several years away. Jacob’s long service in Genesis 29:15–30 reminded me that love and commitment can persevere through years of labour and disappointment. He served seven years before being given Leah and then committed to another seven years for Rachel.
Driving
With faith according to the measure God had given me, I wanted to increase the places to which I could drive during 2017, including Munno Para and Elizabeth. From there, I hoped to consider other locations as my confidence grew and as I prayerfully discerned the Holy Spirit’s leading.
Caring for God’s Creation
Psalm 24:1 declares that the earth belongs to the LORD. As God’s child, I wanted to care more intentionally for His creation and encourage others to do the same. My practical goals were to put more effort into organising Clean Up Australia Day activities and to volunteer time toward tree planting and biodiversity.
Family and Personal Goals
- Isabella: spend more time with her, teach her God’s Word, help with homework, attend school festivities and events, support violin lessons, encourage her strengths and areas for improvement and teach healthy boundaries and limits.
- Archery: aim to join a local club and see where God leads us from there.
- Children’s books: continue writing books that share God’s Word and save toward publication through Xlibris by the end of December.
- YouTube: support Luke as an assistant for his YouTube channel, continue tithing and praising God, offer encouragement and help with administration when needed.
- Family communication: communicate more often through Viber, Facebook or email, remembering that the occasional letter through the post could also be meaningful.
These locations, study plans, publishing hopes, relationships and communication platforms reflect the season in which this resolution was written. I preserve them here as part of my personal record from 2017.
An old resolution can remain spiritually alive when it leads back to daily faithfulness. The fruit of the Spirit is not displayed only in dramatic moments. It appears in quiet generosity, teachable responses, disciplined habits, patient study, family care and the decision to follow Jesus again today.
Questions for Personal Reflection
- Which old resolution still reflects something God is asking me to practise today?
- What private habit is preparing me either to stand or to stumble in public?
- Which aspect of the fruit of the Spirit most needs room to grow in my present season?
- Am I serving quietly for God’s glory, or seeking attention for spiritual activity?
- Whose correction should I receive with humility, and what influence may require a wiser boundary?
- What one small, consistent action can I begin again this week?
A Prayer for Consistency
LORD, help me to be faithful in both private and public. Grow the complete fruit of Your Spirit in me, teach me to receive wise correction and give me self-control in my words, habits and responsibilities. Let my light direct people toward You, and help me follow Jesus consistently in every season. Amen.
Scripture References
- Philippians 2:14 — working without complaining or arguing.
- Proverbs 10:4; 12:24 — diligence rather than laziness.
- Matthew 6:1–4, 16–18 — giving and fasting without seeking public praise.
- Proverbs 9:7–8; 17:10; 22:24–25 — correction and close influences.
- Galatians 5:22–23 — the complete fruit of the Spirit.
- Matthew 5:16 — letting good works give glory to the Father.
- 2 Corinthians 5:17 — the new creation in Christ.
- Luke 9:23; Matthew 16:24 — denying oneself, taking up the cross and following Jesus.
- 1 Corinthians 6:19–20; Psalm 24:1 — honouring God with the body and caring for the earth that belongs to Him.
- Genesis 29:15–30 — Jacob’s years of service for Leah and Rachel.
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ReplyDeleteSupporting you all the way sweetheart with all your resolutions and God will give you strength to endure and persevere on for his glory and honour...
Regards,
Mamalama.
Thanks Mamala :-)
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