Meditation for January 2008

So many people at this time of year are making New Year’s resolutions, promising to discontinue the bad habits they have revelled in for a good portion of their lives. After only a few days, most people fall back into their old habits again; and, when they do, they become so discouraged that they give up on their resolutions immediately.

Part of the reason for the failure of New Year’s resolutions, I believe, is the constant focus on the negative habit. It seems that we, as humans, are more likely to do the things that we think about constantly. So perhaps it would be better to think about doing something positive and try to cultivate one good thing instead of trying to root out so many bad things.

Think of one good thing that you would like to cultivate in your life, e.g. thoughtfulness of others; saying a kind word to others; or smiling at someone who always seems to be sad. Perhaps, you could put up a Good Habits Calendar in a place where you will easily see it and, each day give yourself a star when you perform your good habit.

Keeping your thoughts on good things you want to do instead of the bad things you don’t want to do will encourage you in your good habits, leaving less time for you to think about and perform your bad habits. If you are drawn toward indulging in your former bad habit, make it an opportunity to think of a way that you can best perform your good habit.

This year, why not concentrate on making a New Year’s resolution to make one good habit instead of trying to discontinue all your bad habits. I think you will find that both may be accomplished with this system.

St. Paul says something similar to this in his letter to the Galatians. He begins in chapter 5:19 with a long list of things that we shouldn’t do: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing; we could all, I’m sure, take a few of these things on the list and make a resolution not to do them in 2008. Then, in verse 22, Paul gives us a much shorter list of the fruit of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Each of these seven fruits grows on the same plant—the plant of the Spirit, which has taken root and grows in our soul. Each of these seven fruits of the Spirit grows and matures together; as one fruit is exercised and grows, so does each one of the others. So, when you make an act of love in the Spirit, the fruit of love grows, and your fruit of joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, gentleness, and self-control grow in equal proportion to the fruit of love.

I have never seen or heard of a natural plant that has more than one type of fruit growing on the same plant. The fruit that grows in our soul grows on a Spiritual plant and is one of God’s miracles and gifts to us; and we have the honour and responsibility to assist in the growth of the Spiritual fruit by seizing every opportunity with which we are presented, to practise the gifts of the Spirit.

 © Judith Lawrence