Have you ever looked at the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted list? Check it out. These are some dangerous guys.

James J. Bulger looks like a friendly old grandpa. Except he’s wanted for 19 counts of murder, among other things.

Robert William Fisher looks like a nice guy, too. Of course he allegedly killed his wife and two young children before blowing up the house they lived in.

Then there’s Osama Bin Laden.

While these are evil, violent men, I don’t necessarily feel threatened by them. I understand Bin Laden could do great harm to many people at almost any time, but the odds of me being personally harmed are slim.

There is someone though who is much more likely to do me harm. Someone who at this moment does not even mean to harm me, but has great power to do so and has a track record of doing just that.

The person I need to watch out for is “future me.” Not mini-me. Future me.

At the moment, I am intent on obeying God, eating right, exercising and serving my wife and children well. The future me has proven, however, time after time to be weak, lazy, self-deceived, hypocritical and highly vulnerable to temptation.

For example, I plan on working out tomorrow. Much of the time, I actually enjoy running and lifting weights. But I’ve also learned over the years that during late fall and early winter I am inclined to eat poorly and not exercise as much as I should. I rarely miss workouts in the spring and summer, but that’s not the case right now.

Even though tomorrow is New Year’s Day and I plan to spend some time watching football,  there’s no reason I shouldn’t be able to write a couple thousand words on the marriage book I’m writing. And yet, future me will be tempted to not write. He will waste time. He will look for other things to do. I’ve seen him do it.

I think the apostle Paul understood this when he wrote:

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. (Romans 7:15)

Can you relate?

So on a day when many of us are either making or at least thinking about New Year’s Resolutions, what can we do to help out Future Me and Future You?

First, recognize we are totally dependent on God to live the life He calls us to. In John 15:5, Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” We will fail if we are relying on our own strength.

Second, temptation is unavoidable, but let’s at least be wise about it. James 1:14 says, “…each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.” What are you desiring that is outside God’s will? What do you think about? Want? Flirt with? If you continue to feed ungodly desires–you are setting up Future You to fall…again.

Third, if we’re going to stand against temptation, then we need to change our desires. To change our desires, we have to first change our thoughts. Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Choose to spend time in God’s word to allow Him to change your thoughts. Learn to think as He does. Let Him reshape your desires to be in line with His so He can grant them.

Fourth, give more. Jesus said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Want to re-direct your heart, your desires, your focus? Then give. Your heart will follow your treasure. I found this to be true a number of years ago when I was playing around in the stock market. I was only investing a few hundred dollars, but the changing stock prices had me glued to my computer. My heart, my attention, my interest was following my treasure.

2011 is a few hours away. You and I have great intentions, but future you and me aren’t so well intentioned. They need our help. We can make some decisions now to help them.