If you are one of the committed individuals who are still dutifully sticking to your New Year’s resolutions; congratulations and I pray you keep it up! If you happen to fall into the other category; which is probably the majority of us, and have already slipped up or fallen away from your intentions of self-improvement, please allow me to offer some encouragement and biblical assistance. (And just in case you were wondering; I did not make any New Year resolutions).
"I truly believe we can and should endeavor to make positive changes in our lives; as long as we get them in the right order."
After prayerful consideration, I believe the main problem of most resolutions is that they are quite often self-serving. Tending to shift our focus on ourselves instead of God, we focus on how we can make improvements in our lives. I am certainly not negating the fact that most resolutions are good and will usually benefit us; I just believe most people make rash decisions on January first without the necessary prayer and reliance on God to carry out these self-made promises. I know I have repeatedly made promises to myself at the beginning of the year, only to be disgusted with me because of repeatedly failing to keep them. At these times God reminds me of John 15:5 and how I need to abide in Christ In order to do anything of any lasting value.
So, I truly believe we can and should endeavor to make positive changes in our lives; as long as we get them in the right order. First of all, we need to earnestly submit our ideas to God – will this bring glory to Him, or is it just for me? One example is losing weight, a considerable challenge for most, and getting harder as I get older! While cutting back on portion sizes and exercising are not specifically addressed in scripture, the benefits of being in good health to do whatever God leads us to do is without question. Next, in a proper mindset of submission to the Spirit of the Lord, He will show us areas that need to be addressed (Psalm 139:23, 24). We always need to remember that we can only do anything by His grace alone. As long as we are here on earth in our fallen, un-glorified bodies, we will have thoughts, attitudes, and habits that need to be subjugated to the will of God. Whether it is losing weight, saving money, or spending more time with our family; only an absolute reliance on Christ will ensure any resolutions are kept. It really all comes down to this one thing – resolving to obtain a deeper understanding of the love of God and the never ending power of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus.
John Clark
So, I truly believe we can and should endeavor to make positive changes in our lives; as long as we get them in the right order. First of all, we need to earnestly submit our ideas to God – will this bring glory to Him, or is it just for me? One example is losing weight, a considerable challenge for most, and getting harder as I get older! While cutting back on portion sizes and exercising are not specifically addressed in scripture, the benefits of being in good health to do whatever God leads us to do is without question. Next, in a proper mindset of submission to the Spirit of the Lord, He will show us areas that need to be addressed (Psalm 139:23, 24). We always need to remember that we can only do anything by His grace alone. As long as we are here on earth in our fallen, un-glorified bodies, we will have thoughts, attitudes, and habits that need to be subjugated to the will of God. Whether it is losing weight, saving money, or spending more time with our family; only an absolute reliance on Christ will ensure any resolutions are kept. It really all comes down to this one thing – resolving to obtain a deeper understanding of the love of God and the never ending power of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus.
John Clark