Perhaps your conviction for your 2024 resolutions is already diminishing. It happens every year, doesn’t it. We mean well, but by January 10^th, we are usually right back where we were. In 1722 when he was only 19, Jonathan Edwards made 70 resolutions that still receive a great deal of attention. Edwards was later appointed president of Princeton University and is regarded as one of the best theologians America has ever produced (his grandson was James Hamilton by the way). Edwards’ books are still studied today by scholars and Edwards Societies hosted by universities like Yale. His sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” is probably the most popular sermon outside of Scripture itself.

So, what resolutions or convictions could propel someone to such a status? He resolved to read over the 70 resolutions every week. Here is the first one: “Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God’s glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriad’s of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many and how great soever.” Here are the 4^th and 6^th: “Resolved, never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God; nor be, nor suffer it, if I can avoid it. 6. Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.”

We probably shouldn’t try to write 70 historic resolutions, but we can do even better as we find ourselves resolved to fulfill the inspired command: “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor 10:31).