Lessons from Jonathan Edwards

In my last post I talked about some things that have affected my Husband and I from going to the Resolved conference this past year.

The Resolved conference is a conference on Christian life. Everything to do with Christian life and being an imitator of Christ and living out his ways every day.

There are some amazing speakers and I am so thankful for their obedience in preaching and allowing God to speak through them.

But what is important in this post is why the call it the Resolved conference.

The term Resolved for this conference comes from Jonathan Edwards. I'm sure most of you have heard his name but might not be very familiar with him. So let me tell you a bit about him.

Jonathan Edwards

Edwards was a puritan in the 1700's and is a great hero of our reformed Christian faith. He was a great preacher and inspiration to many. He obediently lived out his Faith and did not conform to this world.

He is also an inspiration because even from a young age he recognized that living your life for Christ was not a light decision. He realized that in order to really live out his faith and be a slave for Christ he must live that out each and every day.

He knew he had to be firm on his commitment to the Lord. At just 19 years old he recognized that his life must look different from the world. He decided to sit down and wright out his commitments to the Lord and then began reviewing them each week so as not to forget how he was to serve.

Each commitment consisted of a short statement summarizing how Great God is and how low man is. Each of these statements began with the word Resolved.

As Edwards sat down to write his 70 Resolutions he began by saying,

Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God's help, I do humbly entreat him by his grace to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ's sake.

A few of my favorite  of his Resolutions are:

4. 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.

5. Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.


16. Resolved, never to speak evil of anyone, so that it shall tend to his dishonor, more or less, upon no account except for some real good.


Just to name 3 of 70! These Resolutions are a wonderful way to start off your day, week or month. Each time I read them I get something different from them. God is so evidently in Edwards writings and words and reading them gives so much encouragement in serving the one true God.

If you want to learn more about the Resolved Conference go HERE {You can even download the past 6 years worth of sermons from the conference for FREE!!} But if you are not ready to be convicted and ashamed of your walk then don't listen!!

To read all of Edwards Resolutions for free go HERE!

Next up is my 2011 word of the year. Can you guess what it is?!