New Leaf Prophesies

Turning a new leaf in life is always made easier at the behest of God. Whether we see these as Divine orders or just suggestions for better living is beside the point—opportunity beckons.

But so does failure. New Year’s resolutions have an infamy for falling over late January (or even late January 1!).

When I undertook training as a fitness instructor over twenty years ago now, I was taught the rule of the two’s. People will sustain their exercise routines if they don’t give up after the first two days (due to soreness), and the first two months—as such habits take at least two months before they stick.

There is an application of the two’s here too.

Stick-ability

The difference between righteousness and sin—so far as God’s revelation is concerned—is follow-up... action... obedience. Call it what you will; maybe we’ll use stick-ability.

For new leaf prophesies to stick there needs to be the ability to adhere to them, for:

C Two minutes—to defeat the temptation to pass over the thought, giving it credence and making precedence of it;

C Two hours—which is enough time to develop a simple plain to ensure burgeoning interest is maintained and risks are noted for mitigation—to promote stick-ability;

C Two days—and so these are the first tests of our veracity to commit! Buckle here and the dream is gone (for the moment);

C Two weeks—halfway there, truly. Not by time, but by necessity of effort. The hardest work is done; maintenance is now the key; and,

C Two months—time to celebrate, but not so much that we drop the ball. Maintain the discipline.

The Commonality of Goal-Setting

There’s probably nothing that summarises humanity better than the drive or passion to achieve.

The sense of our humanity is intrinsically linked to this. Set a goal and we’ll want to achieve it. We will want—no, need—a result that proffers us toward righteousness, not sin, for righteousness builds up, but sin tears good things down.

If our commonality is written at the view of goal-setting toward achievement, that is how we’ll measure success. It’s not what we try that counts, but whether we achieved it. By that bar we’ll be rated. Admiration is afforded to the person who became known for their stick-ability.

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Adhering to the rule of two’s is not a hard thing as much as it’s a diligent thing.

We can turn over that new leaf. That thing that God’s calling to our hearts to, that thing we’ve been pondering... set about changing it.

© 2011 S. J. Wickham.