Friday, December 26, 2008

Resolution or Recidivism

December 26, 2008- Well, Christmas is over. Gifts have been exchanged. Relatives have gone back to their home lives. All is well.
Now it's time for the New Year. Out with the old and in with the new,right? Not so much if you ask someone that is truly honest. Mark Batterson had a post on a similar note (here). He calls it postcompletion error. I call it simple recidivism. Please read the definition to the word. You see, we make resolutions to change things in our lives. Some of the things that we commit to stop doing are harmful to us or have negative consequences. When we don't follow through on the commitment and revert back to that same behavior, we are in a state of recidivism. When you read the definition you will see that there is a comparison to substance abuse, criminal behavior, even sexual offenders. That might not wake you up but it does me. This coming year I plan to make changes and follow through with them. I'm not going around this mountain anymore. God has given us new life. And with Him living in me I know I can overcome the sin that has so easily beset me in the past.

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