The most popular New Year’s resolution is the resolution to lose weight. You might have made a New Year’s resolution, or you may have decided not to. Many people actually have a negative feeling towards New Year’s resolutions because of the memories of past failures that they bring up.
I’d like to look at 3 aspects of resolutions in general and I hope that this will help us with our New Year’s resolutions and ultimately in our walk with God and in our desire to become more like Him in character.
1. Resolutions are not bad
Exodus 19:1-11 tells us of a resolution that the Israelites made:
In the third month after the children of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on the same day, they came to the Wilderness of Sinai. For they had departed from Rephidim, had come to the Wilderness of Sinai, and camped in the wilderness. So Israel camped there before the mountain.
And Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”
So Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before them all these words which the Lord commanded him. Then all the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.” So Moses brought back the words of the people to the Lord. And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I come to you in the thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and believe you forever.”
So Moses told the words of the people to the Lord.
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes. And let them be ready for the third day. For on the third day the Lord will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.
Exodus 19:1-11
God had requested that they keep His commandments and they resolved to do just that. In the next few chapters, God gives His commandments, statutes and laws and in Exodus 32 the Israelites have already broken their resolution and are worshiping a golden calf, an idol, something that God specifically commanded against.
God knows the future. When the Israelites made the resolution in Exodus 19 to do as He commanded them, He knew that that would rebel before long. Yet, He still worked with them to fulfill their resolution. Instead of condemning them for their future failures, He worked with them in their attempt to do what is right.
Despite our past failures, God still honors each resolution we make to do right.
Think about the alternative though. If you decide that resolutions are bad because of your past failures, the alternative is to make no resolution at all. It is far better to try and fail than not to try at all. By trying, there is still a possibility of success. When you do not try, there is no possibility at all.
2. Failure is not the end
My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
1 John 2:1
The reason John is writing to us, is that we do not sin. His purpose in writing to us is that we make a resolution not to sin. Suppose we keep to this resolution for some time and then we fail, John is saying that this is not the end, we can ask for forgiveness from God and try again. By no means is he saying that failure is the end of the road. Rather, he is saying that provision has been made for when we do fail: we can get back up, God erases our past and we can try again.
If you do fail at your New Year’s resolution, there is no need to feel like it is the end of the road. If you do fail at doing what is right in God’s sight, it is certainly not the end of the road for you as well. Get back up and by the grace of God, try again.
3. Each Day is a New Opportunity
When we do try again, it is not necessary to wait until next year to do so.
Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed,
Lamentations 3:22-23
Because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
We can start each day anew. This is why daily devotions are so important and why it is even more important to start our day with God. As we start our day spending time reading God’s word and spending time in prayer, we have an opportunity to confess the previous day’s failures, to make a new resolution to do what is right and to request the strength to do what we have resolved to do. Each day can be an opportunity for a new year’s resolution, a new day’s resolution, if you will.
If we live our lives like this, we will find ourselves more successful at keeping to our resolutions and ultimately we will become like Christ in character. We will fail less and be more victorious and we will be ripened for the return of Jesus.
Don’t be afraid to make resolutions just because you have failed. If you do fail, understand that there is solution to your failure and then you can get back up. Try the better plan: the new day’s resolution.