“Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” I Corinthians 9-24-27
It is World War II, and the British forces were retreating across The Channel. It seemed that victory had already been lost. Most everyone agreed that Britain must surrender while she still could; but not Winston Churchill.
“You ask, what is our aim?” Churchill told his fellow members of Parliament as he took office. “I can answer in one word: It is victory, victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be.”
And again, he rallied the British people. “We shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be,” he told them. “We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.”
It took five more long years, but thanks to the Allied armies, the world was freed from Nazi tyranny. And thanks to the bravery of the Royal Air Force, the British never did have to fight on the beaches, nor in the hills or streets of their own country. But it was to Churchill that the victory was most owed, for it was he who had the courage not to give in during the darkest of hours. Churchill had many admirable attributes: but it was his determination to keep going even when the odds were against him that makes him a great role model for children today. He was a man of resolution.
Have you made some resolutions for the New Year? If so, by default it would mean you must have some regrets. And now those regrets must be strong enough for you to ask God to empower you to become a person of resolution. Now, there is a difference in a person with a resolution and a person of resolution.
“Resolve” may be defined as: “to determine or decide upon a course of action.” “Resolution” may be defined as: “an act of firmness and determination to accomplish that which is resolved upon.” A resolved person has made a mental determination, a person of resolve has a firmness to actually do it. Resolutions are powerless in the hands of a person without resolve. Benjamin Franklin defined being a man of resolution as: “Resolve to perform what you ought. Then perform without fail what you resolve.”
Why is this so important? Because being a person of resolution is the key to many of the other virtues. Regardless, if your goal is to achieve patience, to be more faithful at church, to pray more, to be more dependable, none of these can be accomplished without the resolve to perform what you ought. In other words, to make resolution, or to resolve to do a thing is to decide or determine in your own mind a course of action you will pursue.
God himself resolved to do certain things. In Acts 2:23, we read: “Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:” Hence, it was God’s determined or pre-determined plan for Jesus to die by the hands of wicked men on a cross. So, God made a determination (a resolution or a resolve), and He made it ahead of time.
I have grown weary of hearing about resolutions. What we should really be focused on is to be a person of resolution. Which do you want to be this year? The wishy washy, non-committed resolution guy or the clearly focused, results oriented person of resolve? Anyone can make a resolution. Very few have resolve.
Of Regrets
When we are young, it seems that we will live forever. We think there is a limitless supply of sunrises waiting just beyond the horizon, and the future looks to us like an unbroken road stretching endlessly before us. However, the older we get, the more we tend to look back and marvel at how short that road really was. We wonder how the years could have passed so quickly. We begin to think about the choices we made and the things we have done. In the process, we remember many priceless moments of joy. But we also remember the regrets—the things we wish we could go back and change.
For example, many people regret that they failed to become the person they felt they could and should have been. When they look back on their lives, they realize that they never lived up to their potential; that too many accomplishments remained undone. This is not some simple misstep. It is failing to become the person God equipped you to be. Why do we devote so much of our time and energy to things that are so fleeting, so inconsequential, and so superficial? Do we refuse to see the folly in the pursuit of the trivial? Would it not be wiser for us to follow the Scriptures? God instructs His people to; “lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:” Matthew 6:20
How do we do this? We certainly cannot do this with a dragging-our-feet, staring-at-our-watch, complaining-as-we-go approach to labor. When it comes to living the gospel, we should not be like the boy who dipped his toe in the water and then claimed he went swimming. As sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father, we are capable of so much more. For that, resolutions and good intentions are not enough. We must actually act upon them.
Declaring the power of the Gospel is good, but being a living example is far better. Over the years, I have worked with many Christian people that knew the Gospel just as well as I, but they were lazy and undependable, they could not be trusted, and they refused to govern themselves. Those who knew them best questioned their faith. Wishing to be more faithful is good; actually being faithful is much better. Announcing that we will dedicate ourselves to be zealous about the work is good; but actually doing it is what will bring heavenly blessings to our lives and leave us with fewer regrets.
Of Resolutions
One day we will take that unavoidable step and cross from this mortal sphere into the next estate. One day we will look back at our lives and wonder if we could have been better, made better decisions, or used our time more wisely. If you are to succeed in life, you must learn to be a person of resolution. I’ve seen countless people set out with the best intentions, only to fail because their resolution was weak. But I’ve also seen many others succeed despite the odds because their resolve to achieve consumed them.
Being a person of resolution is often the determining contributor in how so many successful people were able to accomplish their goals. I wish the road to victory was a smooth even playing field, that was littered with resources, encouragement, and rest stops, but that is not the case. When obstacles rise up on their path, successful people don’t stop. They turn the obstacles into stepping stones and continue striding onward and upward.
Research shows that reaching goals leads to greater joy in life. Yet, while over half of us set New Year’s resolutions, just 9% of us succeed in keeping them. Now, maybe some of those resolutions didn’t need to be kept, but many of those resolutions were probably good. Being a person of resolve is essential in helping us get the best from our labor, it helps us objectively evaluate our own behavior, and it is crucial for self improvement. Being a person of resolve promotes a deeper level of thought. It promotes the ability to look at a problem or situation from multiple perspectives, to evaluate all the available information, and to come up with a range of possible solutions or outcomes.
It goes way beyond simple problem solving of the 2+2=4 kind. Rather, the man of resolve looks for all the ways he might reach the number 4, using addition or subtraction, or multiplication—he will look for multiple options for reaching his goal.
May this be our resolution for this new year: I am determined to achieve, and even exceed, the goals in my life! My resolution knows no limits, and I will stay the course, always! I act on my goals! I listen to the voice of God! I deal with the fears that arise in me! I am strong; I am capable; I am motivated; I am resolved; and I go on! I will run the appointed mile, and the next, and the next. Daily, I go on! Daily, I move on! Daily, I stay determined! Daily, I am me, and I am the best that I could be as a child of the Most High!
Many people may work hard, but they accomplish very little. Some blame it on a lack of focus. Being a person of resolve gives you focus. It causes you to move towards something bigger than you imagined. It gives you a tunnel vision to see through the haze of foggy details. Much is riding on your decision. Determine to be a person of resolution.
Dr. Worthington has been in the ministry for over forty five years and serves as President of Pathway Ministries and Christian Bible College