Happy are those who don’t listen to the wicked,
who don’t go where sinners go,
who don’t do what evil people do.
—Psalm 1:1

During all the busyness leading up to Christmas the idea of making a list of New Year’s resolutions (or even just one!) had never occurred to me. Then a day or two before New Year’s Eve my kids asked if I’d made any resolutions yet. I gave that about two seconds’ thought and replied, “Nope, nothing needs changing. I like myself just the way I am, thank you.”

No, I did not consult my wife on this.

And once again I put the whole idea of calendar-based self-improvement plans out of my mind.

As it happens, a group of us at ESCF decided to start a through-the-Bible reading plan for 2018. We did this several years ago and it was a great experience. Besides the benefits of daily Scripture reading, it also gave us a common goal that brought us together day after day, week after week for an entire year. With something like that you grow spiritually and you also grow as a congregation and community of believers. It was hard work. It was awesome.

So hey, let’s do it again! And would you believe, the very first day gave me my I-was-definitely-not-looking-for-this New Year’s resolution: Psalm 1:1.

I spend a lot of time on the Internet every day, for work, entertainment, chatting with family and friends, shopping, news, etc. The digital world is where I’m most comfortable. But anybody who’s spent more than five minutes online can tell you that while there’s a lot of good and useful stuff out there, there’s also a lot that’s worthless, wrong and evil. Hence my new resolution. In 2018 I want to apply Psalm 1 to my time on the Internet. Don’t go where sinners go. Don’t do what evil people do. Ask me how I’m doing in a few weeks’ time.

What’s your New Year’s resolution?

Bible Reading:
Genesis 1:1–2:25
Psalm 1:1-6
Proverbs 1:1-7
Matthew 1:1-25