Renewed Determination for 2002
by Wayne Dawson

As we ring-in the new year, it's a good time to pause for a moment to reflect on the year gone by, and to give thanks for the blessings that lie ahead.

Indeed the dawn of a new year is a time for renewed determination to be a better person, a better Christian, in short, to be more like Jesus. With that in mind, here are my personal new year's resolutions, in hopes they'll possibly encourage you to serve Christ better.

First, I vow to spend more time in prayer. The bible says we should pray continuously, indeed prayer was an important part of the life of our Lord and Savior during His time here on earth. Throughout the gospels there are accounts when Jesus would steal away by himself to get one-on-one with the Father. It was during these times of intimate fellowship that Christ received His instructions for His earthly mission. If prayer was such an important part of the daily life of the Son of Man, I know I as a imperfect sinner definitely needs to spend more time on my knees, for the bible says, " all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God," Romans 3:23.

Since I am blessed with doing the morning show on Fox 8 News, I get up very early in the morning. This year I vow to get up 15-minutes earlier every day to begin my day on the right foot, in conversation with God. My Heavenly Father will be the first person I talk to in the morning, and my time with Him will set the pace for the rest of my day's activities. Its important for me to begin my day with God, because the bible says, "those who seek me early shall find me", Proverbs 8:17.

In addition to increasing my prayer time in the new year, I vow to read God's word everyday. Over the years I've found the word of God is the key to life, the "how-to" manual for being a victorious Christian. Not only will I read the bible each day, I will experience it, allowing God's word to sink into my heart and soul, influencing my thoughts, my words and my actions.

When the storm clouds of life roll in I will lean on empowering scriptures like, "count it all joy when you fall into trials, knowing the testing of our faith produces patience," James 1:1-2, or, "the steps of the Godly are ordered by God, He delights in every detail of his life. Though he may fall he will not utterly be cast down, for the Lord holds him by the hand", Psalms 37:23-24.

Finally in the year 2002 I vow to be a bolder witness for Christ. In His great commission before ascending to the Father, Jesus told his followers to, "go into all the world and preach to gospel to every creature," Mark 16:15. In the new year I will not be ashamed of my relationship with the All Mighty God because as Christ put it, "he who denies me before man will be denied before the angels of God", Luke 12:9.

I know If I truly love the Father, it is time for me to stand-up, to understand my responsibilities and to truly be a "light of the world", knowing that God wants me to, "let my light to so shine before men, that they may see my good works and glorify my Father in heaven", Matthew 5:16. No I won't stand on the roof tops and shout about the glory of God, but I will testify to all who will listen about just how good God has been to me, and what He's done for me, He'll do for others.

Ordinarily New Year's resolutions are made to be broken, but these are resolutions I dare not break, for my peace of mind and my relationship with my Heavenly Father depend on it. Happy New Year!

Wayne Dawson is the co-anchor of Fox 8 News in the morning. He is a 21-year veteran of television news and a life long Christian. Wayne views his work on Fox 8 as his ministry and he uses his position to tell people about God's forgiving grace through Jesus Christ. Wayne is also working on his Masters in Theology at the Trinity Bible College in Indiana.