New Year Resolutions

Well, here we are again! Another year has passed and a new year is staring us in the face. It’s typical for people to ask two questions at this point; “Where has all the time gone?” and “What are your New Year resolutions?”

Are making New Year resolutions effective? Is there any point to even making them? I’d like to take a minute and think about all the New Year resolutions we’re probably making right now.

When we talk about New Year resolutions, what do we really mean? We all have things we’d like to change in our lives (especially me). We want to lose weight. We want to get a better job. We want to exercise more. In essence, we want to exert more control over our lives. We see things in our habits, character or in other areas of our lives which seem to be less-than-best, and we want to improve them.

While the intention is worthwhile, the process, however, often leads to failure and disappointment. Surely there must be a better way than just making some promises to ourselves (or others); promises which may – and usually more often may not – bear fruit? Thank God, there is a better way!

James makes an interesting point about making such “resolutions” (New Year or otherwise);

James 4:13-17

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.  (NKJV)

What is James saying? Does he think that making plans for our lives is wrong? No, not at all. What he wants to point out to us is that the people who make such plans seem to leave out the most important factor – God’s Word and will.

Re-read the passage and look for the place these businessmen made for allowing God to direct them. You can’t find it! That is James’ point. They wanted to do this-and-that, making no provision for God’s plan for them. They assumed that they were in control.

James points out that they don’t even know what’s going to happen tomorrow, so how can they boast about what they’ll be doing a year from now? What if God ‘changes’ their plans? James corrects that kind of thinking by telling them they should consider “if the Lord wills” when making decisions. “Therefore, to him who knows to do good [keeping God’s Word and will foremost} and does not do it, to him it is sin.”

You may be asking yourself, “That’s all good, Mark, but what does that have to do with making some simple New Year resolutions?” That’s a good question. It has everything to do with it!

When we make New Year resolutions, what do we want to do? We want to exert more control over our lives. We set ourselves up for failure in the same way that the businessmen in James’ example did. We (most often) leave God out. By exerting our own control we supplant God’s rightful place to direct us. While making a plan is a good thing, seeking God first is better!

Have you noticed something in your life you want to see changed? Ask the Lord about it! He’s likely the One Who brought it to your attention in the first place. He knows us, inside and out. He knows the perfect time to deal with the situations in our lives that cause us to falter in our walk with Him. He also knows what’s coming in the future, something that none of us can do!

Do you want to lose weight (as most of us do, at least after all the holiday feasting!)? Ask the Lord to show you, day by day, how to accomplish it. Seek Him first.

Do you want a different job? Ask God to orchestrate it for you, do your best in the situation you’re currently in, and then be sensitive to His leading. Seek Him first.

Every day, and in every way, we ought to seek Him first. He has promised to lead us every step of the way. As we make our plans we should keep our relationship with Christ at the forefront of it all!

Jesus said;

Matt 6:33

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Perhaps the first of our New Year resolutions should be to keep Him first in all we do!