New Year's Resolutions

This is the first year in my life that I have ever set "New Year's Resolutions", though the fact of it is that I started before the new year. The reason I will share a little later. I spent a lot of time considering whether or not to do so, if it is right or wrong, or even if it matters at all. Below are some of my thoughts along the way. 

A friend recently posted that "New Year's Resolutions are merely the confessions of past years failures." This is often very true. But there is another truth concerning New Year's Resolutions: they are aspirations of doing better in the coming year than one did in the past. Both are true. Personally, my New Year's Resolutions reflect both aspects. The fact of it is, they should. We are taught repeatedly in the Scriptures (more by example than command) that we are to confess our sins to the Lord. We are also taught that we are to strive to live more in accordance with the gospel of Jesus Christ today than we did yesterday. See Colossians 3:1-17 The Apostle Paul spoke of this in reference to himself when he said "Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I PRESS TOWARD THE MARK FOR THE PRIZE OF THE HIGH CALLING OF GOD IN CHRIST JESUS." Philippians 3:12-14 Note well what he says: 'I am not perfect, but that is what I'm striving toward.' Constantly reaching forth, continually sanctifying himself from all that is ungodly. This is how we are to live. Jesus did not save us simply that we might continue as we were; rather he says "Go, and sin no more." He says "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." Matthew 5:48 

So what constitutes good New Year's Resolutions? I would say any that are godly, are good. This comes to the reason for the resolutions. If the reason is merely for our physical, fleshly, earthly benefit, then it's not worth much and may very well be as good as harmful. But if the reason for the resolution is that we might not be conformed to this world, but rather be transformed by the renewing of our mind, and that we might present our bodies a living sacrifice unto God, then is it a good resolution because it is first godly. This does not mean that any resolution that concerns our fleshly body (as opposed to one we might consider spiritual) is wrong, for it can still have as its basis the gospel of Jesus Christ (which gospel tells us that our old man has been crucified with Christ, and that we are to yield ourselves unto God as those that are alive from the dead. See Romans 6). For instance, Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:27 "But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I should have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway." Here is a practice of Paul's, a resolution so to speak, concerning his body. Yet is had as its basis that which is spiritual. And then there is the areas we would typically think of as being spiritual (though they must have their out workings in the body, the physical). One example of this is found in 2 Peter 1:5-7.  

As to making New Year's Resolutions for the new year, I have one problem. That is, if a thing is right to be done because it is wrong (sin) not to do it, then it ought to be begun immediately, and not only at the beginning of the new year. This is the reason I started some of mine before the beginning of the new year. 

I hope that if you have made New Year's Resolutions, that you will consider to be be sure that they are godly; for if they be godly, you may be sure that they are good. And if they be good, THEN DON'T GIVE UP! Press toward the mark of the prize of the high calling of God upon your life!  "But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever. Amen." 2 Peter 3:18 May God bless your New Year!!!

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