Did you make your New Years Resolutions yet?
Surveys say the top secular resolutions for 2011 are to Loose Weight and Get Fit, followed closely by Quit Smoking, Quit Drinking and Save Money. Further down the list was to Manage Stress, Get Out of Debt, Spend More Time with Family, Volunteer to Help Others and to Take A Trip.
As a Christian, your resolutions might be to Spend More Time In Prayer, Go to Church More Often, Study the Bible More, Develop a Closer Relationship with Christ, Tithe More or maybe Take a Missions Trip.
Statistics tell us that almost 90% of Americans make at least one New Year's resolution On the surface it seems like such a great idea. As Christians we do believe in repentance, so the beginning of a new year should be a joyous thing to anticipate. However, as humans, we know our own failings.
If we're really honest, most resolutions we've made in the past were already broken by Valentine's Day if not sooner. Why? Maybe we have to ask ourselves, did they really glorify God? If so, did we ask God for help in accomplishing those resolutions?
There is something flawed though with the concept of a New Year's resolution on several levels, especially if we are Christians. First of all, waiting until a particular date to change really doesn't make much sense. As Christians, we have an opportunity to repent and begin anew every single day. Doesn't it seem like a better idea to make the change at the time it's recognized as a need?
Waiting only further ingrains in us the undesirable behavior while we're waiting to make a change. Keeping the bodily temple healthy (1Corinthians, 6:19) is good, but do we look at December and overeat with the mindset that this is a “last meal, so we better make it good”? Yep... been there.
The second flaw in this concept is that making a New Year's resolution implies that we will immediately change. On January 1, I will no longer eat carbs or I will begin prayer time at 5am. That sets us up for certain failure, doesn't it? How long did it take us to develop the undesirable behavior? If it has taken a lifetime to develop the undesirable habits why would we believe we can change in an instant, a day or even in a year?
Perhaps our biggest mistake when resolving to change though is that we rely upon our own determination, will, power, strength. If we could break the bad habit on our own, we probably never would have developed it in the first place!
Solution? Pray about the things in your life that you want to change. Give them to God. Ask Him for the power and strength to help you succeed. Don’t wait till Jan 1st to begin, start today!
He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. [Ephesians 2:7-9 NASB]
