On December 12, 2000 I made a decision. My decision was that I would no longer live for myself. I decided that I would give my heart to Jesus Christ and let him be the Lord and Savior of my life. It has been a crazy journey since then. There have been incredible mountaintop experiences and extremely dark valleys. I can wholeheartedly say that I love Jesus more today than I ever have before but sometimes I drift.

I get tired sometimes and instead of living for God I choose to live for myself. I start to covet the prizes and lights of this world more than anything or anyone else. I start to want the fame and the glory for me and not for God. My gaze begins to focus on popularity and my fears become primarily settled around losing things that are fleeting at best. Jesus is still important to me in those moments but not nearly as much. I begin to lose sight of what I’m living for and what I’m not living for. I’ve been working through the 70 resolutions of Jonathan Edwards and his 42nd resolution was…

Resolved, frequently to renew the dedication of myself to God, which was made at my baptism; which I solemnly renewed, when I was received into the communion of the church; and which I have solemnly re-made this twelfth day of January, 1723.

The image that comes to mind here is that of a lighthouse. A lighthouse has the powerful effect of letting ships know where their destination is. Even when the waves are crashing and the storm is raging, the radiant beams from the light house stand firm and show the sailors the way home. Edwards wanted to make sure that he kept the lighthouse in sight. His lighthouse was Jesus Christ and he knew that if he continually renewed his commitment to him, then he would remember daily what was most important.

Sometimes I lose sight of the lighthouse. The waves start to crash over the boat and I begin to panic. My ship feels like it’s going to break and I forget where I’m going. But then I catch a new glimpse of the lighthouse and somehow the noise and power of the storm begins to weaken.

Let’s keep the lighthouse in sight. Let’s allow Edwards’ dedication to spur on our own. Jonathan Edwards had to be one of the most focused men that’s ever lived. This is a resolution that all men and women of God should consider adopting.