Did you make any resolutions for this new year?
If you did, make sure you keep the resolution for your own reasons and not because somebody else wants you to do it!
Here’s a story that explains why:
One day, a farmer and his son decided to ride their donkey into town to get some supplies.
When they arrived, the townsfolk said, “Look at those two healthy men riding that poor, overworked mule. We’re calling the Animal Rights group and reporting them!”
When the farmer and his son heard it, they quickly headed back home without the supplies.
The next day, the farmer and his son decided they would both walk and lead the mule into town.
When they arrived, the townsfolk said, “How ridiculous! That’s a perfectly good mule.
Why would you walk all this way when you could have ridden it into town?”
The townsfolk laughed them to scorn, so the farmer and his son went home.
The third day, supplies were getting scarce so the farmer decided to let his son ride the mule and he would walk beside them.
When they arrived, the townsfolk said, “Look at that healthy, young man riding the donkey and forcing his old, retired father to walk everywhere. He’s lazy and a disgrace to his family!”
Ashamed, the farmer and his son quickly went home.
The fourth day, they were now desperate for supplies so the farmer decided he would ride the donkey and his son could walk beside him.
When they arrived, the townsfolk said, “Look at that man forcing his son to lead him around town like he’s a king sitting on a stallion. He’s a terrible father! We’re calling Social Services and reporting him.”
The farmer and his son immediately ran out of town.
Finally, on the fifth day, the farmer and his son were now on the verge of starvation.
So they did the only thing they could do: they CARRIED THE MULE into town!
The moral of the story: listening to public opinion will cause you to carry burdens God never intended for you to carry.
That’s exactly what Apostle Paul wrote about in Galatians 1:10, “Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.”
It’s time to drop your mule, listen to God and don’t worry about what people say.
And that’s a resolution we can all use for this New Year!

Rev. Doug Johnson is the senior pastor at Raven Assembly of God in Raven, Virginia.