Why Resolve NOW?

I wonder what would happen to many who make New Year's Resolutions if such were not allowed? I don't mean anything political or something like that. I am posing the question for the sake of determining why it is we make them at all, and why we make them on the last day of the year? A couple of brief thoughts:

Failed Resolutions Can Prevent Future Commitment?

First, it would seem that the humor so often associated with our proverbial failure to keep our NYRs might actually work against our making any at all. You know what I mean don't you? How often have we heard it said (or said it ourselves), "Well, if I make a resolution, I know I'll just break it, so why bother?" Perhaps, we should recognize that, humor aside, resolutions are not so bad to make per se. It was Socrates who first said, "The unexamined life is not worth living." I think he was partially right. Mankind by nature is cognitive, and therefore must exercise some judgment in their choices. It will happen. He is partially wrong (if I rightly understand him), in that one may live a very organized and thoroughly self-examined existence and still live outside of God. I would suggest many do. In such cases, then, we might add, "the examined life does not necessarily result in a worthy life, unless it yields to truth as it is revealed in Jesus Christ." So, let us make resolutions, but be careful that they conform to the dictates of Scripture. Remember, it was Jesus who asked most poignantly, "What shall it profit a man if he were to gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Or, what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matthew 16:26). Examine your life. Yes. Make resolutions? Yes, if they meet the Jesus criteria.

Why Resolve Now?

Second, why make resolutions only at year's end? This admittedly is less serious than the first concern. But I was thinking . . . maybe this fits into that class of things that make you scratch your head and go "hm-m-m." I mean consider, if something were truly worthy of our making a resolution, then why would we wait until New Year's Day in order to commit to it? Just a thought. That's all. If something is worth doing, isn't it worth doing now?

Now, what will you do? 

I'm resolving to get this posted before year's end! Whew, I think I'll make it.