Resolution or Revolution?

⁸ Endings are better than beginnings.
   Sticking to it is better than standing out. 

(Ecclesiastes 7:8)

One full month of the year has already flown by at record speed and as many of us sit looking at our "resolutions", conducting an inventory of our progress toward goals we had set for ourselves, some of us will find ourselves having made a good start, but then petering our somewhere along the way!  Isn't that always the case with our "resolutions" - they are good while they last, but they tend not to last!  One of the radio announcers I listen to on Christian radio did something different this year.  She focused on making a "revolution" in her life - not a "resolution".  To some, those are just words, but if you know me by now - you know how much I enjoy looking at the words!

A resolution is simply an intention - formalized by some sort of plan.  It is a determination of heart or mind, but it often lacks the quality of perseverance that is required to see it to completion.  A revolution is the process whereby one set of actions is diminished and replaced thoroughly by another.  There is a clear difference when we look at them this way - one is well-intended, the other is well-performed.

Revolution is similar to the process of metamorphosis - the process whereby the caterpillar emerges as a beautiful butterfly.  At one season, it appears one way, and at a different season, it has been transformed into something that no longer resembles the former appearance!  Now, translate that into everyday life with Jesus.  We need revolution, not just resolution.  Yes, we need to be resolute in our commitment to what he asks of us, but we need the revolutionary transformation of our lives that only he can bring.

Solomon reminds us that endings are better than beginnings.  We often do much to celebrate the beginning of something.  Think about it...

• Bridal showers to celebrate the beginning of a new life for the bride
• Baby showers to prepare for the many needs of the baby
• Grand openings of stores to welcome in all the customers

Yet, the ending is the most important part!  How will that relationship be 25 or 50 years down the road?  Will there still be celebration?  Will that child grow up to bring honor to his/her parents?  Will the store's windows soon be marked with the "going out of business" signs that all become so prominent these days?  

Sticking to it is better than standing out.  That's the key to "revolution" in our lives.  If we want Jesus to transform us (create a metamorphic change in us), then we need the "stick-to-it" kind of commitment that is spoken of here.  There is a place for resolution, but the outcome we all desire is revolution.

As you look back over the month - evaluating the "resolution" you exhibited toward the goals you set - remember this:  God is the MOST concerned with the revolution of our mind, emotions, and spirit - not with the loftiness of the resolution or the magnificence of the plan.  Maybe it is time that we examine our "resolutions" in the spirit of making them "revolutions" in our life!