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Resolution Revolution

So, we’re just barely into the New Year, and I can only guess how many of us have already broken our New Year’s resolutions for 2010. If so, you’re not alone. A Franklin-Covey poll shows that nearly four in ten people break their resolutions before the end of January. Unless your resolution was to break more resolutions in 2010, that can be pretty defeating.

I have had varied success with making resolutions for the New Year. I can think of two notable examples that have remained intact for at least ten years. On one occasion, I personally vowed to stop biting my fingernails, a nasty habit I had carried since childhood. The other major victory was eliminating soft drinks from my repertoire of beverage choices. To this day, except for the rare A&W Root Beer (Hey, a guy’s gotta live!), I’m proud to say that I’m off carbonated drinks.

While that still brings a smile to my face, it is tempered with the many other attempts at personal life change that have gone awry. Hardly a year goes by that I don’t say, “OK, this is the year I lose 50 pounds.” Like a “Biggest Loser” contestant, I have all the gumption in the world to start doing regular cardio and changing my eating habits. I display the dogged determination of a cheetah scampering after its prey. This year, I will catch my elusive game. I will deblubberify. Then, January 4 comes around. I start thinking, “Why should I go to the gym in 10-degree weather when I can lie in my bed for another half hour?” Before you know it, the merry-go-round of resolutions is back in operation.

Some believe the practice of making New Year’s resolutions dates as far back as 153 B.C. when Janus (from which we get January), a mythical king of early Rome, was placed at the head of the calendar. With two faces, Janus could look back on past events and forward to the future. He became the ancient symbol for resolutions, and many Romans looked for forgiveness from their enemies and also exchanged gifts before the beginning of each year.

Making resolutions isn’t necessarily Biblical. They’re more goals than vows anyhow. Still the changing of calendars can be a natural time to make some important life decisions, but only if Christ is at the center of it. Even though the ball has dropped, it’s never too late to make some God-centered goals for our lives. If you desire to do so, we need to ask some important questions to the Lord.

First, what do I need to begin? Most resolutions that are made are built around this theme. It’s the introduction to something new to our life that has been missing. Whether it’s doing more traveling, making a stronger effort to build more effective relationships or start exercising, it’s important to ask God what needs to be started in our life. Whatever you do, try to stick with just one thing. As flexible and amenable as we think ourselves to be, we don’t handle change very well. Introducing just one new thing into our routine will cause incredible spiritual, physical and emotional upheaval. However, as great as the previous examples are, find out if there’s something that needs to be added to your spiritual diet and routine first. If you find it lacking and hit-or-miss, this is the first area of examination and addition in our lives. I can’t think of a better thing we can do in 2010 than improving our spiritual communion with Christ. However, we need to remember that to say “yes” to this new thing, we will need to be ready to say “no” to something else.

Secondly, what do I need to end? Maybe there’s a habit, pattern of thinking or even relationship that needs to end or change in 2010. This is a painful question to ask, but it’s necessary. Asking this of the Lord will undoubtedly provide the “no” we need to make room for the “yes’ we’re adding. And by the way, it doesn’t have to be sinful or immoral. There are plenty of “good” things out there, but they could be wasting our time and money and holding us back from becoming the men God intended us to be. A friend of mine likes to say, “Change happens when the pain of change becomes less than the pain of staying the same.” Change is painful, and it may take great pain from it for us to realize that we’ll have less pain without it. Let the Holy Spirit turn His searchlight on you and obey whatever He asks. That alone will bring great spiritual reward.

Finally, the least obvious question to ask: What do I need to continue? Sometimes we can become so focused on what needs to enter and exit that we can leave out a good point of celebration. Let’s give the Lord the chance to say, “Way to go! Keep doing that! It brings me great pleasure and delight.” There’s nothing wrong with letting the Holy Spirit affirm us. It’s fuel for our soul. Another important reason to ask the question is because if we take something like that for granted, it will become old and familiar to us and quickly lose its luster. We may be tempted to change something simply for the sake of change. We may unintentionally be eliminating something life-giving to us. When we hear from God what He loves, it fills us with new vitality and energy to keep doing what pleases Him.

I hope you endeavor to be more like Christ in 2010. Whatever you do, whether you call it setting goals or making resolutions, let’s just make sure it’s intentional. And whether we’re waving hello to something, goodbye to something or inviting something to stay, let’s not forget that Jesus is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and End. He will help us with our beginnings and endings because He is both. I know you can do this. And if it helps to hurry the process, five…four…three…two…one…

Keywords: Resolutions
Authors: Matt Anderson

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