hatchet
costly
habits

If “be more financially responsible” is on your list of changes for 2008, think about how little habits get expensive.

try guessing the annual cost of these:

Latte on the way to work

Daily bottled water

Weekday lunch out

Vending machine snack

Weekly manicure

answers:

At a conservative $3 each, five days a week for 50 weeks: $750, plus tips

At $1 per sealed bottle at convenience store: $365

At a typical $9 each: $2,340

That dollar bag of afternoon cookies at work: $250

At an average $20 each time: $1,040, plus tips

THE ROMANS DID IT
We can thank the ancient Romans for the idea of New Year’s resolutions.

They named January for the Roman god Janus, whose two faces looked in opposite directions. He symbolized simultaneously looking to the past and the future. Many Romans celebrated “Mr. Two-Face” by seeking forgiveness from their enemies — definitely a “looking back” on wrongs, with a “looking-forward” hope of peace!

As centuries passed, people began exchanging gifts on the last day of the year — usually branches from so-called sacred trees, nuts or coins with Janus’ likeness on them.

The early church, wanting nothing to do with pagan rites, marked the new year with fasting and prayer. Sixth century Christians celebrated Jesus’ circumcision. In the Middle Ages, Christians changed “New Year” to December 25, Jesus’ birthday. Later they changed it to March 25, to honor the Annunciation — the angel Gabriel’s announcement to Mary, mother of Jesus. In the 16th century, Pope Gregory XIII revised the calendar again and returned “the first day of the year” to Jan. 1.

Even today not all cultures celebrate Jan. 1 as the first day of the new year! The Chinese, who use a lunar calendar, celebrate it sometime between mid- January and mid-February.

Regardless of where “New Year” lands, it has traditionally been a time for pondering the past year and seeking a fresh start.

REAL RESOLUTIONS
Puritans in America in the mid-1700s stayed clear of New Year’s parties, instead encouraging their children to use the day to think about the past year and the one to come.

At least one Puritan boy named Jonathan took that challenge seriously. At 17, he sat down and wrote 21 “resolutions” to live by. He determined to read over his list every week as a self-check. He also added to his list, and when he died at age 55 was living by 70 personal resolutions!

Some on his list were what we might resolve today, such as #20: “Resolved, to maintain the strictest temperance, in eating and drinking.” Others involved profound personal searching. He dealt with issues like reacting to others’ faults, giving to the poor, never taking revenge, growing spiritually, confessing sin nightly, studying Scripture and seeking to become better through affliction.

By the way, his full name was Jonathan Edwards, and this 18th-century revival preacher greatly influenced the Great Awakening.

Consider taking a tip from Edwards, and write out your resolutions for weekly review.

Interested in what Edwards resolved? You can view the entire list here. Go to number 11 on the list of links for resolutions.

SIMPLE AS A-B-C...D-E
What’s your habit? Consider the things you do without thinking, and usually with a negative impact.

“No choice but habit,” wrote William Wordsworth, “rules the unreflecting herd.” Like unthinking cows that amble along the same narrow, muddy paths, we get stuck in the ruts of habits like these:

• Physical: nail-biting, knuckle-cracking, overeating
 Pastimes: excesses of television, computer games, the Internet, hobbies, recreational shopping
• Attitudes: negativism, exaggeration, ingratitude, worrying
 Carelessness: sloppiness, punctuating phrases with the Lord’s name (Oh my…), gossiping

The list is endless (where does “armpit popping” fit?), as habits invade every area of life. But bad habits can be conquered:

Admit the problem. Avoid rationalizing, “That’s just me,” or “Nobody’s perfect.” If a problem has your attention, that’s the Holy Spirit nudging you to change.

Be patient. It takes about a month to form a new life pattern, and three months to make it a habit.

Create a visual, like a “Habit Jar.” Every time you indulge in that bad habit, put a rock or a coin in the jar. Or hang a calendar just for marking habit “relapses.” Hopefully, you’ll see fewer marks as time goes on.

Decide on little goals, like a day free of a bad habit, then three days, a week, a month.

Engage a “habit buster buddy.” Ask a trustworthy friend to check on you by e-mail, phone or visits. For a double benefit, find someone ready to slay the same bad habit, and work at it together. If couch potato tendencies plague you, drag each other on walks or to the gym.

Remember this gold-plated promise: “I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13). You’re not alone in trying to break bad habits!

A note of caution: If your habit is a serious compulsion or addiction (such as hoarding, anorexia, pornography, gambling, or alcohol, nicotine or drug addiction), seek help. Ask your pastor to point you to support groups or counselors who will compassionately guide you in making lasting change.

WALK, PRAY, SCRIMP
Take a peek at most Christians’ New Year’s resolutions and you’ll probably see “lose weight/exercise,” “have better prayer life” and “reduce debt.”

Janet Holm McHenry tackled the first two resolu-tions in her life by tying on her walking shoes. In her book PrayerWalk (Random House, 2001), the California English teacher told of her resolve to push herself out of bed at 5 a.m. to walk, regardless of the weather. She used her route through her mountain community to pray for schools, businesses and public officials, as well as her own family and friends. She gained energy and lost weight as a bonus. She also saw cougar tracks in the snow!

If “reduce debt” is on your list, you might emulate the “The San Francisco Compact,” wherein a group of individuals committed to buy nothing new for a year — except food, under-wear and medicines. Their example spawned similar “compacts” across the globe, sending adherents to thrift stores, yard sales and sites like
www.craigslist.com that post (among other things) not-so-new items for sale.