I don’t generally make new year’s resolutions. I tend instead to make resolutions throughout the year. Yet, like every human alive, I struggle to keep the resolutions after making them. After a week of 2022, perhaps you are struggling to keep your resolutions. I would encourage you to press forward. Proper resolutions provide great help in our lives.

Whenever resolutions become a topic, I think of the great puritan preacher Jonathan Edwards. He regularly made the practice of resolutions. He recorded 70 of them. His resolutions tended to be profound. Consider some of these resolutions and determine if they would not be reasonable to resolve for yourself.

1 – Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God’s glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriads of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many soever, and how great soever.

4 – Resolved, never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God; nor be, nor suffer it, if I can avoid it.

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

10 – Resolved, when I feel pain, to think of the pains of martyrdom, and of hell.

16 – Resolved, never to speak evil of anyone, so that it shall tend to his dishonor, more or less, upon no account except for some real good.

24 – Resolved, whenever I do any conspicuously evil action, to trace it back, till I come to the original cause; and then, both carefully endeavor to do so no more, and to fight and pray with all my might against the original of it.

28 – Resolved, to study the Scriptures so steadily, constantly and frequently, as that I may find, and plainly perceive myself to grow in the knowledge of the same.

40 – Resolved, to inquire every night, before I go to bed, whether I have acted in the best way I possibly could, with respect to eating and drinking.

41 – Resolved, to ask myself, at the end of every day, week, month and year, wherein I could possibly, in any respect, have done better.

56 – Resolved, never to give over, nor in the least to slacken, my fight with my corruptions, however unsuccessful I may be.

The complete list of resolutions can be found at www.jonathan-edwards.org/resolutions