New Year's Resolutions

This is the time of year when we make New Year's resolutions.  When I was younger I used to set lots of goals and organize them into different areas of my life.  I had financial goals, physical goals, career and educational goals, family goals and spiritual goals.  I would start the year off with a bang but usually fizzled on most or all of them by the end of January—February or March on a really good year.

Last year, I set just one resolution:  to repent.  I worked hard on it all year.  I’ve learned a lot this past year.  The scriptures admonish us to lay aside every sin, which easily besets us.   I struggle with many things.  We all have things that just seem to knock us on our butts so easily despite our determination to do better.

We are all familiar with the scripture where the Lord says his work and his glory is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man (Moses 1:39).  I used to view this scripture and the atonement as meaning Christ has done his part and is now waiting for me to do mine.  He is probably looking down and thinking Jensen when are you going to get your act together?  I was so wrong.

In D&C 19, Christ describes his sufferings—what we usually consider the atonement and then states that he ‘finished his preparations’.  That’s interesting.  Slowly the lights began to go on.  His work isn’t done.  What is his work now?  You are.  His work today is to bring about your eternal life.  His sufferings and what he went through are his preparations.  He wants to work with you.

I testify that he stands at the door of your life and is knocking. (Rev. 3:20)  Will you open up?  Maybe you are too busy to hear?  Maybe, like me, you’re not hearing the knock feeling like you have to do it yourself.  Or perhaps, you’ve opened the door.

He will work with us wherever we are at.  There is nothing he can’t help us overcome or heal us from.  There is nothing too small to trouble him with.  There is nothing too deep or malignant for him to understand.  He has experienced it all.  If there are such things in your life, you may have a hard time hearing the spirit’s knock.  You may need help from the Bishop.  Go see him.  You will find love and understanding.  The Lord can give him the inspiration you need to help you.    Satan wants us to hide our sins.  In the garden, he pointed out Adam and Eve’s guilt and then encouraged them to hide.  Don’t.  Get it off your chest.  Isaiah testifies (Isaiah 53:11) that the Lord knows how to help us.  He can take you from where you currently are to where he wants you to be.  He can bring us to justification and to sanctification.  Will you open the door?

Again, this year I have one new years resolution.  It is to repent.   That really is the good news.   All of this takes time.  I still struggle, but I can look back and see progress in the last year.  That brings me joy and hope.  I want to open my door a little wider this year.