Pastor's Nearly 300-Year-Old 'New Year's Resolution' Is Getting Some Attention. Here's Why.

Evangelist Franklin Graham took to Facebook on New Year's morning to unveil an 18th century "New Year's resolution" that he believes still holds the power to transform "our lives and this world" if each individual decides to embrace it.

That resolution, which was composed by American preacher Jonathan Edwards, who lived from 1703-1758, calls for each individual to rely upon the Lord and to live by the Almighty's standards.

"New Year’s is well known as a time for resolutions. People make resolutions to lose weight, to spend more time at the gym, etc. Less than 10% of people actually keep them," Graham wrote. "Jonathan Edwards, 18th century revivalist preacher who graduated from Yale University and was president of what is now Princeton University, had a list of 70 powerful resolutions — not just for New Year’s, but for a lifetime."

It is the first of those 70 life resolutions, though, that Graham said is of particular importance. Keeping it, he said, would create a world-changing scenario: "Our lives and this world would be forever transformed."

Here is the full text of Edwards' 18th century resolution:

"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 myriads 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."

Read the other 69 resolutions here.

Graham said that his own personal 2016 resolution is to "live for God no matter what."

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