Time for new year’s resolutions. Have you made your list? If you have, hopefully you’re still going strong and haven’t thrown in the towel yet. However, chances are some of you have already abandoned your list, and it now sits in the bottom of your trash can, underneath the last of the Christmas leftovers.
Every turn of the calendar presents an opportune time to reflect on what has been and consider what could be, yet there is something significant about the start of a new year. The clean slate is larger and the promise of new beginnings seems never-ending. We behold an entire year of opportunities, and immediately the ideas begin to percolate on how we can venture into more and better. A better version of ourselves, loftier goals, more happiness, the list goes on.
For the child of God, we, too, can partake in this reflection and aspiration season, but let us not stop where the world does. Better yet, let us not even begin where they do. Instead, let us begin, pursue and realize this venture with the One who made and redeemed us. Our God is the beginning and the end, the first and the last (see Revelation 1:8, 2:8). He is also the great I Am (see Exodus 3:14), and He is already in our tomorrow. He holds all things together and works all things together for good (Romans 8:28). Why would we not allow Him to dictate our new year’s goals? He was the source of all your joy, strength, hope and purpose last year, trusting Him to be the same for the next would be the most logical thing to do, let alone fruitful.
Plus, when God fixes your gaze for the new year and establishes your feet on the right path, you can know your list will be well-advised and full of glory—His glory (see Psalm 16:7-11). It will also be free of shame, appeasement, misguided priorities and all works of the flesh. Its fulfillment will not depend on your willpower or strength, but your alignment to His will and dependence on His strength (see Philippians 2:13). Evaluations of progress will be determined by Him, and He will use His measuring stick, not yours.
Many people, including non-Christians, begin their new year’s resolutions well-intentioned and with a fair amount of gusto. Yet, for the latter group, motives for setting goals and achieving them are rooted in “self.” Vanity, pride, lust, self-loathing, gluttony, greed and jealousy fuel the flame of change. Such may be the motives of some Christians as well, for the enemy’s enticements are strong and he’s masterfully employed some of the world’s most influential marketing schemes.
If you are a child of God and have found or currently found yourself in this latter camp, do not belittle or resign yourself into indifference. Instead, admit (confess) your sins before God and ask Him to replace your heart’s sinful desires with more of Him (see Ps. 51:10).
His plans are higher than ours, cannot be thwarted and are good.
There may be others of you who steer clear of new year’s resolutions for a host of reasons, one of them being you think the practice too worldly. I challenge those of you in this camp to think differently as well. As still imperfect beings, we as God’s people are called to routinely examine ourselves (see Ps. 139:23-24) and ask God many reflective questions, namely,
Are there any grievous ways within me, and
How do You want to use me, Lord?
True, we can do this any time of year and are to make it our lifestyle, rather than a once-a-year endeavor, but to do so consistently at the beginning of each calendar year shows us and God that it’s only because of Him we are where we are and it’s only with Him that we will face the next year. And we dare not do it without first consulting Him and His plans. After all, His plans are higher than ours, cannot be thwarted and are good (see Isaiah 55:8-9).
Read through the Bible and Church history and you will soon discover the amazing things God can do with those who submit themselves to God. Of course, their paths included a great deal of pain, uncertainty and setbacks, but all of it was of even greater gain for the sake of pursuing and living under His Lordship (see 2 Cor. 4:17-18).
So this new year, let us follow in the footsteps of our saintly brethren and partake in a time of reflection and dreaming with the Lord. Let us lift our praises to the One who was our strength, wisdom, hope and joy last year, and let us also dwell at His feet and listen as He tells of His wondrous plans for the year ahead. Let us approach 2025 not just in hopes of being new people, but new people in and for Christ (see Rom. 6:4).
And in case you need some ideas on what to include on your list, prayerfully consider the following, all inspired by Scripture. Of course the list is not exhaustive nor as specific as it could be, but it is a start. Read through it and if something strikes your heart (or against your flesh), take it to the Father and see what He thinks. As His beloved children, let us:
Resolve to wake each day “satisfied with (His) likeness” (Ps. 17:15) rather than fret over and become obsessed with our image (see Matthew 6:25-33).
Ask God, “Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in Your ways” (Ps. 119:37). As a result, we will replace hours of screen and scroll time with life-giving spiritual disciplines like regular Bible intake, prayer, Biblical meditation, worship and other God-exalting practices.
Live counter-intuitively to our current political climate (and even the climate within sects of the Church) and “strive in building up the Church” (1 Cor. 14:12).
Engage the spirit of boldness and power God gives us (see 2 Tim. 1:6-7) and not be afraid of darkness, knowing even darkness is as light to Him (Ps. 139:12). With Him as our Protector, we will walk in our calling to expose the works of darkness (Eph. 5:11).
Consistently eat of the Word so that we are ones who can rightly handle the Word of truth (2 Tim. 2:15), progressing from spiritual babes nourished by milk to mature adults digesting the meat of His Word (see Hebrews 5:11-14).
Be doers of the Word and not hearers only (James 1:22). May we also never again be those who are constantly learning but never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth (see 2 Tim. 3:7).
Discover every day the Lord’s new mercies (Lam. 3:22-23).
Rearrange our hearts’ affections to see God’s Word prove true in our lives, including the promise He gives in 2 Corinthians 9:6-8.
Walk by the Spirit and thus starve the desires of the flesh (see Galatians 5:16-17).
“Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving” (Colossians 4:2), meaning we will live in communion with God, expecting Him to do amazing things in, through and around us.
Know God in the sense it’s used in 2 Peter 1:2; that we will know Him in such a way which is an “exact or full knowledge, discernment (and) recognition” that leads to “a greater participation by” us in Him, “thus more powerfully influencing (us)” (Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words).
Make it our aim in life to “utter the mighty deeds of the LORD” and to “declare all His praise” (Ps. 106:2).
Add just one of these to your new year’s resolutions and wait in giddy expectation of the sweet blessedness which will be yours in Christ as He responds to your heartfelt prayer, all for the glory of His name and the expansion of His Kingdom.
Here’s to another year with the Lord at the helm.
References:
English Standard Version Bible. (2001). Crossway Bibles.
Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words. (n.d.). Epignosis. In Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words. Retrieved December 30, 2024, from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g1922/esv/tr/0-1/.
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