New Years Resolutions...
For centuries, the human race has been plagued by a neverending losing battle of making resolutions for the new year, and never seeming to keep them. But the question is: Why do we always fall for it? It just seems that we make impossible goals, and come March, those goals are usually long forgotten. This seems the pattern, but come Dec 31st ever year, we make new resolutions. And usually fail again.
So why do we always fall for it?
In my opinion, the answer is fairly simple: A new year provides us with a glimmer of hope. It is an invisible line that crosses over from one phase of our life to the next. If we were without clocks and calendars, we would never know the line exists, but the fact is, it does. And thus with this line of crossing from one year to another, it provides hope that we can change. We feel the urge to change.
Paul says in Romans 3:23, out of the Message:
Since we've compiled this long and sorry record as sinners (both us and them) and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us…
The truth is, we are incapable of becoming new people. We are incapable of being self-controlled. Embedded within our DNA is a natural syndrome called the “flesh” and with it, it’s very difficult to overcome the habits that we have acquired over our years on this earth. Even as Christian, renewed by Christ, if we do things in our strength, we won’t get very far.
We all know Zec 4:6:
Then he answered and spoke to me, saying, This is the Word of Jehovah to Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says Jehovah of Hosts.
You see, the key is letting him take over. If you want to be technical, we should only have one New Year’s Resolution every year, and everyday for that matter. And that is to surrender to His will. We must decrease and He must increase, as John the Baptist prayed. Jesus made it so simple. When asked about prayer, he didn’t give us a long list to prayer for every problem in this world, it was simple “Your Will be done, your Kingdom come.”
And that’s the key. His will is that He would be the King of our lives, and we would surrender to the flow of His Holy Spirit. The same Spirit that rose Christ from the dead, that Created the Universe! Surrender to Him this year. In everything.
Truth is, it’s easier said than done. It means a conscious decision, even at coffee in the morning, to say: “God, Father, by your Spirit, be King of my life today. Take over. Have your way with me. Flow through me. I am your vessel.”
That way, all those resolutions, no matter how unimportant, should be a lot easier. With the help of our father every step of the way.
So why do we always fall for it?
In my opinion, the answer is fairly simple: A new year provides us with a glimmer of hope. It is an invisible line that crosses over from one phase of our life to the next. If we were without clocks and calendars, we would never know the line exists, but the fact is, it does. And thus with this line of crossing from one year to another, it provides hope that we can change. We feel the urge to change.
Paul says in Romans 3:23, out of the Message:
Since we've compiled this long and sorry record as sinners (both us and them) and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us…
The truth is, we are incapable of becoming new people. We are incapable of being self-controlled. Embedded within our DNA is a natural syndrome called the “flesh” and with it, it’s very difficult to overcome the habits that we have acquired over our years on this earth. Even as Christian, renewed by Christ, if we do things in our strength, we won’t get very far.
We all know Zec 4:6:
Then he answered and spoke to me, saying, This is the Word of Jehovah to Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says Jehovah of Hosts.
You see, the key is letting him take over. If you want to be technical, we should only have one New Year’s Resolution every year, and everyday for that matter. And that is to surrender to His will. We must decrease and He must increase, as John the Baptist prayed. Jesus made it so simple. When asked about prayer, he didn’t give us a long list to prayer for every problem in this world, it was simple “Your Will be done, your Kingdom come.”
And that’s the key. His will is that He would be the King of our lives, and we would surrender to the flow of His Holy Spirit. The same Spirit that rose Christ from the dead, that Created the Universe! Surrender to Him this year. In everything.
Truth is, it’s easier said than done. It means a conscious decision, even at coffee in the morning, to say: “God, Father, by your Spirit, be King of my life today. Take over. Have your way with me. Flow through me. I am your vessel.”
That way, all those resolutions, no matter how unimportant, should be a lot easier. With the help of our father every step of the way.
Post a Comment