Christian Resolutions for Biblical Womanhood – A Year of Resolve

I’m excited about what we are going to be doing this year. I’m naming the series- A Year of Resolve: A Christian Woman’s Resolutions for Biblical Womanhood.

Have you been trying to think of some good Christian resolutions for the new year? Tis the season to start setting new goals and making plans.

Jonathan Edwards’ Christian Resolutions?

Have you hear of Jonathan Edwards? He was a pastor in the 1700s. He preached the famous sermon- “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” Along with John and Charles Wesley and George Whitfield, he was a key player in the first great awakening. Edwards also served as a missionary to the Native Americans.

But one of the things I find most fascinating about him is his legacy of pursuing God’s glory in all things. At just 19 years old he wrote 70 resolutions. These were not your typical resolutions that die out by February. These were true Christian resolutions. They were deep and personal commitments about how he would live his life to the glory of God.

Here are just a couple of the resolutions to give you an idea.

-Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.

-Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.

-Resolved, I will act so as I think I shall judge would have been best and most prudent when I come into the future world.

Those are just 3 out of 70. When I found these a few years ago I was really drawn to them. Over the last couple years I’ve been studying them. I’ve been searching scriptures out for each one. And I’ve been figuring out how they each can apply to me as a Christian woman in modern times.

Sharing the Idea

I have felt God putting it on my heart to share the idea of biblical womanhood resolutions with other women. So here’s the plan. Each week we are going to dive into one or more of Edwards resolutions. We will see how it applies to us as Christian women today.

Now I want to be clear that this is not going to be a series about how I have perfected these resolutions.. About how I am able to daily apply them all to my life. It’s really about how I fail at these. That without the Holy Spirit and a continual study of God’s word I would have no hope at living up to these resolutions. But that’s where Grace comes in. Grace from God but also Grace from ourselves.

A Peek at My Life

I’ll give you a peek into the last couple of weeks of my life. I had a busy schedule planned of prepping to host family for Christmas. I needed to finish shopping and wrapping. We were training our new puppy. I was publishing a scripture and prayer journal on Amazon. And I was launching this new podcast channel and blog series.

And we ended up with a cold and stomach bug being passed around our family of eight. It took me out of commission for a couple of days and forced us to cancel our Christmas gatherings. It also put me very behind on getting ready to launch this series. Keeping a God honoring attitude through the last couple weeks has been a challenge. There was more than once when I just wanted to give up on the idea of this podcast and blog.

However, I have been working through these resolutions and many of them apply to the moments I was facing.

Practical Application of Resolutions in Daily Life

Take the first one I read about today- living with all my might. Giving up on an idea that I feel passionately about would not be living with all my might.

The second one I shared was about using time in the most profitable way. Was I overwhelmed with everything needing done? Yes. It’s too easy to choose not to accomplish anything because we are overwhelmed with the big picture. Or to choose to do the easier tasks that are not actually a priority. If I’m resolved to use my time in the most profitable way I will analyze my priorities. I will choose to accomplish the highest need first and complete it well to the glory of God. Then I can fully commit to the second thing.

The third resolution I shared was about acting in the best and prudent way. Being anxious and short-tempered during this trying time would just leave me looking back with regret, seeing my need for repentance.

Are you starting to see why I chose these ones as examples today?

The 4th, and last, of Edwards’ resolutions that I will share with you today is

– Resolved, after afflictions, to inquire what I am the better for them, what good I have got by them, and what I might have got by them.

Today as I look back at the trials of these last couple weeks, I can ask myself how God meant them for my good.

One thing really stood out to me. It was my approach to this journey to share what I’m learning about living every day to God’s glory. Instead of aiming to have everything perfect such as a well-written script, perfect background and lighting, and makeup on to hide the dark circles under my eyes, I’m aiming to meet my weekly publishing goals by using my time in the most profitable way. And that will almost certainly mean I have to give up on the idea of perfection.

The Journey Through Christian Resolutions

So let’s be clear. This journey isn’t about perfection, it’s about growth. It’s about letting the Holy Spirit work in our hearts, one week at a time, one resolution at a time; growing us to be more like Christ.

I would love for you to join me this year. Whether you are young or old, single or married, have children or not this journey is for you. Each week we’ll look at one or more of Edward’s resolutions, search the scriptures, and share practical applications. I recommend finding an accountability partner and encouraging each other to start applying these resolutions to daily life.

Before we close today, let me leave you with one of my favorite verses

John 17:17 “Sanctify them in the truth: your word is truth.”

This is such a great reminder that. No matter who the scholar is we are reading, we need to hold everything up against the truth of God’s word.

Next week, we’ll start on our first resolution together. Until then, remember we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, according to scripture alone, for the glory of God alone.

If you are looking forward to making life-long, God glorifying resolutions, would you please share this with someone in your life? It helps other women find this God-fearing community and I would be grateful. You can also find me on Instagram, YouTube, or your favorite podcast app under Reforming Womanhood, where I will be sharing the same resolutions this year for anyone who would rather listen. See you next week!