New Year’s Intentions

Well, here we are, three weeks into the new year, the year for 2020 Vision, and I stink. Some of my New Years stuff I am doing quite well. Some of it has been a total loss. I wanted to lose some weight this year, I think I have gained about 4. I wanted to run 3 miles every day. I think I need to run 37 miles tomorrow to get caught up. This whole “Trying to Be a Better Man” thing is not as easy as I thought.

But there is a difference between New Year’s Resolutions, and the commitment to do and be better. New Year’s Resolutions are yes or no, pass/fail. I do them until I don’t and then it’s over. I’m a miserable failure. I’ll wait until next year. Commitments, intentions to change and improve, are an all year affair. I may have stops and starts, I may fall behind a little, but the desire to change is ongoing and I can pick up again as soon as I am through the slump. 2020 Vision is not a resolution, it is an INTENTION. So, here we go again.

The first quarter I am focusing on being faithful in the Word of God. Actually, that one has gone pretty well. Here is my plan for this year:

• I am reading through the Bible this year. I do that about every year. It just gives me some direction and the impetus to keep it up. This year I am reading 5 chapters a day. I read 2 chapters from the Old Testament, (I started with Genesis, so today I read Genesis 41-42), 1 Psalm and 1 Proverb, (so I finished Psalm 21 and Proverbs 21 this morning), and 1 chapter from the New Testament, (Matthew 21 today.) That should have me finish the whole Bible by late October, so I have a little room for error. (Or for the day I get to Psalm 119 and I spend the whole day JUST on that.)
• I am reading that in a new and different translation this year. That helps me to stay interested, focused and engaged. I found a copy of The New Century Version of the Bible laying around and decided to use that. It’s modern, fresh, but not too wordy. I also found the Streetlight App which is kind of an edgy, almost rap feeling audio Bible app. Sometimes I play it and follow along with my Bible.
• Lastly, I am color coding my underlining. I keep a handful of colored highlighters with me while I read. Every verse that makes an explicit promise I am marking in orange. (Go Vols!) Every verse about the Holy Spirit, even in the Old Testament, I mark in blue. It’s surprising how many references to the Spirit of God there are in Genesis. Marking like that helps me keep track of where I am, keeps me focused, and turns this into a reference project that I will use for a lifetime.

So, whatever your 2020 Intentions are, don’t give up. Get back to them. Start over. It’s not too late. Next week I am planning a video blog so we will see. Whatever you do, put the keystone habit of staying in the Word of God back on your plate today. You can do this thing. Make 2019 the year of 2020 Vision.