Dear Friends,
Making New Year’s resolutions is a revered tradition honored by millions each year.
“I will not procrastinate on preparing my taxes.” “I will be patient at traffic lights, even when I’m running late.” “I will lose 10 pounds before June.” Good intentions like these are stated emphatically, and we all realize that they are often broken in a few weeks–or hours–of January 1st. It is a common cycle. Any gym enthusiast knows the place is typically packed at the beginning of the year, but just a few weeks later, many of these workout warriors disappear.
It might serve as fodder for sitcom writers, but real discomfort can result from our first failure to make it to the gym, forgo a dessert, or choose family above work. This anxiety may quickly pass, or it may become debilitating when we approach life and resolutions as all or nothing. When they are broken, even slightly, they’re useless and suitable only for discarding.
Broken Resolutions and Gathered Fragments
This situation reminds me of the dilemma the Apostle Paul described.
“For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate” (Romans 7:15, ESV).
He then reveals the antidote: Christ working within us (Romans 7:25; Philippians 2:13). Jesus is the answer to broken resolutions and broken lives! So, how do we move from this theological truth to practical application?
The Gospel of John provides a good response to this question in the account of Jesus feeding the five thousand. I’ve previously considered whether this number included women and children, and how Andrew found among the crowd a boy with five barley loaves and two fish (John 6:9). When I read it again this month, I was impressed by Jesus’ statement after the miraculous feeding.
“Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost” (John 6:12b, ESV).
That statement may seem unremarkable to those who know the sting of poverty and for whom each scrap is very precious. But it is truly incredible, because He is the Creator of the universe (Colossians 1:16).
He could create anything, but He chose to gather the fragments so that nothing would be lost. They were valuable to Him.
Let this be our point for practical application. Rather than throwing in the towel or desponding at the failure of a resolution or a mistake in life, let us value the remains. They are not worthless. They are worthy of being submitted to Jesus, the binder of broken hearts (Luke 4:16-21). No matter how damaged, He can transform ashes into beauty (Isaiah 61:3).
Sanctity of Human Life
As we consider the value of broken fragments, there can be no question about the enormous worth of an unborn child. We bear the image of God from the moment of conception. Recognizing and supporting this truth is a core value for the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute (JDFI).
“To protect and promote the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death” (JDFI, Ministry Distinctive #2).
Just think about it. Issac was born to geriatric parents and became the forefather of a nation (Genesis 21-25); Moses was saved from infanticide to lead Israel from slavery (Exodus 2-14); and Jesus was conceived out of wedlock (Matthew 1) to redeem the world. Yet in our culture, each of these children would face a high risk of being aborted. Sadly, this is the tragic reality for many of our country’s unborn, but there is hope and help.
January is Sanctity of Human Life Month, and we are celebrating it with a poignant blog by a long-time friend of our founder and this ministry, Dr. William Lile. He chronicles Dr. Dobson’s decades of work on behalf of unborn children and reveals the origin of the motto, “A Patient Is a Person, No Matter How Small.” You can read this powerful article here.
Widely known as the “ProLife Doc,” Dr. Lile’s website is packed with helpful resources to save babies and to restore women and men whose lives have been broken by abortion.
Thank You!
Because of you, JDFI continues to bring help to families and marriages in all stages of life. Thank you! It is an exciting time for us as we pour through a wealth of content that Dr. Dobson created during his nearly fifty years of ministry. Our impact is increasing as we make these principles digitally accessible to new generations and geographies, and we are developing new content every day.
We hope you will share your own stories with us, as well as any suggestions you have for new content or digital platforms. You can do this through our website, iOS app, or by calling 877-732-6825.
May God bless you and yours with a wonderful New Year.
Bart Brock, Ph.D.
Chairman and President
Dr. James Dobson Family Institute
This letter may be reproduced without change and in its entirety for non-commercial and non-political purposes without prior permission from the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute.
