So, how’s it’s going so far? I mean your determination to get fit/ lose weight/ stop smoking/ walk the dog every day/ whatever your New Year’s resolution was. I am pretty certain that I have now discouraged you.; you started with such good intentions, managing to resist the temptation for a few days but something happened; you couldn’t refuse someone’s hospitality, someone mocked you, it was raining, you forgot – perhaps you have a perfectly valid reason, but probably not.

So here you are; it’s only February and you’ll feeling pretty pathetic already. The good news is you’re not alone – we all let ourselves down more than we let others down.  You probably know the horse-rider’s philosophy; “if you fall off a horse, get right back on” and yet we so often just stay down in the dirt. So, if you have broken your resolution – I urge you not to give up but to start again. As a teacher of mine once told the class while puffing on his pipe (it was a long time ago); “Giving up smoking’s easy – I’ve done it loads of times”.

One Biblical teaching that never ceases to amaze me is that no matter how often we fail or sin, God is always willing to forgive us and give us another chance.  Think about Peter – he really, really messed up when he denied ever knowing Jesus, all the worse for just a couple of hours earlier proclaiming that he was willing to follow Christ to the death. How did Jesus react? He sought Peter out, told him he was forgiven and then gave him the heavy responsibility of looking after the other disciples.  Jesus could only tell us to forgive our brother 70x7 times because God s willing to forgive us that often.

So this February, stop berating yourself and feeling so weak; get up, get back on that horse and try again. Be that to go to the gym, to pray each morning, to resist that temptation (you know, that temptation that you so easily succumb to) or to look in the mirror and remind yourself “God really does love me”.

Simon Carter
Pastor, Bawtry Evangelical Free Church.