New Year’s Resolution #1

New Year’s Resolution #1 December 31, 2012

Let’s make something other than body fat our focus in 2013. If you’re like me, you’re doing a lot of reflecting on your life this time of the year. As I think of my hopes for 2013, many of my “resolutions” have been sparked by one verse in the Old Testament:

Daniel 6:4

“Then the high officials and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him.”

The most powerful, ambitious, intelligent men in the largest kingdom in the world (Mede-Persian Empire) scrutinized Daniel’s life, looking for some piece of dirt to take the king. They found nothing because Daniel had integrity. I’ve never met a man who doesn’t want integrity. Most men want to be honorable. They want to be loyal to their wives, engaged with their children, and respected in their places of work. Men want integrity, and they set their sights on attaining it. But integrity is a product, or outworking, of something else. All genuine integrity is caused by a deep, sincere faith in God; a faith that says, I trust the character of God so much that I will obey Him no matter the cost. This verse tells us that these powerful leaders couldn’t find anything wrong with Daniel “because he was faithful.”

Yeah, I want to lose a few pounds, break a 4-minute mile, and write the next great American novel…but faith is my priority for 2013. And then out of that faith I’m asking God to move me closer to the integrity of Daniel. Will you join me in this resolution?  What other resolutions do you have for the upcoming year?

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BOOK for men wanting to live above the fray: Man on the Run helps men think through their deepest priorities and what it looks like to be faithful as husbands, fathers, leaders, and friends. Pick up a copy today!

“Man on the Run” by Zeke Pipher

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