Be Resolved!

Today's writing is going to cover both New Years Eve, and New Years Day. As I start to write this, I want to take a moment to wish my brother, David Biermann, a happy birthday on December 31st.

I could not help but think, as I woke up this morning, what a huge increase there is going to be in new gym memberships, diet programs, as well as the sale of nicotine patches and nicotine gum, and E-cigarettes. It is that time of the year when we "ritualistically" make our New Year's resolutions. However, as in times past (and even from my own personal experience), how many of those gym memberships will still be active by the end of March?  If those gym memberships are for a year, how many months will they not be used in 2015?

The bottom line is this, many people will have good intentions, to which they have no power to follow through.

As we end a year, and look forward to the clean slate of a new, we often try to find ways to better ourselves. It seems, at this time of the year, we look over the past year, and we see our accomplishments, but we also see our many failings. We make a vow that this New Year will be different.

If we are honest with ourselves, on New Year's Eve, smokers, that say they want to quit, will still be smoking. People that want to be on a diet, will still be eating unhealthy food.  The list goes on.

The good part, about this annual ritual, is we take a moment to see our shortcomings. In our minds, we envision we can correct all our problems, if we simply resolve to do so. We then take a personal pledge to fix those shortcomings. Statistically though, only a small percentage will ever succeed in keeping their New Year's resolutions.

Most New Year's resolutions are based on fixing things with our human body. Some resolutions attempt to fix shortcomings in ourselves and our personality, and even relationships.  In the final analysis, many men and women will seek to drop a clothing size or two.  A small number will succeed, perhaps for a while, most will end up being the same, or perhaps a size larger by year’s end.  Many a bathroom scale will be challenged in the process.

The desire to improve ourselves is a good thing.  After all, at this time of the year we look back and ponder what we accomplished and where we failed.  We think about what needs to be different for the coming year, to make it a far better year than the one past.   

Whenever you buy a new vehicle, it comes with an owner’s manual. If you go by the owner’s manual, the vehicle will last many years longer, and be far more trouble free. The problem is, many people never look at the owner's manual, and cause severe damage to the vehicle by simply ignoring routine maintenance.

The same is true with people. When we were created by God, there is an owner’s manual that needs to be followed. That owner's manual is called the Bible. Sadly, far too few of us ever read that owner’s manual, and then we wonder why things can go so wrong.  Many also skip the “routine maintenance,” which is finding a fellowship and worshiping God in a local church.   

Real and lasting change, right down to our clothing size and the elimination of bad habits, starts with having a solid relationship with the one that made us.  He, alone, can do far more to change us, than we could ever do to change ourselves.

In 1945, Warner Brother released a film entitled “God is My Co-Pilot.”  That film is based on the autobiography of the same name by Robert Lee Scott, Jr. The film tells the story of Scott's association with the Flying Tigers and the United States Army Air Forces in China and Burma during World War II.  The film has a sentimental theme, God with us to help us, and often to this day you will find many bumper stickers on cars that proclaim that God is my Co-Pilot.   For many it sounds like a great concept, however, there is one problem with that frame of mind.  God as nothing more than a Co-Pilot implies we are always in charge, and only let God “help,” but we still keep our hands firmly on the controls.

In 2005 Carrie Underwood released a song that probably should be our frame of mind.  That song, “Jesus Take the Wheel” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lydBPm2KRaU) is the story of a person that has lived a life of troubles, mistakes and broken relationships. She comes to the point when all hope seems gone, and driving a car that goes out of control on an icy road, she cries out “Jesus, take the wheel!”   Instead of trying to keep control of something that is out of control, she gives it 100% to her Lord.   

As we end one year, and begin another, maybe you have some areas of your life that are “out of control,” and you find there is nothing you can do to make it better.  Maybe you see things that need change in your life, that though you have tried (and failed) before, they still need to be addressed.   May I suggest, instead of making a list of New Year’s resolutions you may not have the power to keep, just make one.  Let that resolution be to resolve yourself to be more like Christ in everything you do.  Let Him work the needed changes in your life, as only He can do.  I think if we make that one resolution, 2015 could be your best year ever.   

2^nd Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

HAPPY NEW YEAR & AND A BLESSED 2015!

About the author: The Rt. Rev. Robert S. Biermann is a Bishop in the Province of the Holy Spirit-Anglican Rite.  He has been a Church pastor, and church planter.  In his earlier career (and to this day) is in the broadcast industry, both in on-air and engineering, working in both medium and major markets.  He has built a number of radio stations, and for a many years was a talk show host.

Bishop Biermann now resides in Vero Beach, Florida where he works with a syndicated radio network, and is developing broadcast programming materials for sharing the good news of the gospel for both a domestic and international audience.  ©2014, Bishop Bob’s Blog