Keeping resolve
The start of a new year is always exciting. Resolutions are made with hope and the absolute certainty that this will surely be the year the things decided will come to pass, and it seems nothing can dampen the spirit — at least until Jan. 2 rolls around. Although that’s a bit of exaggeration (I hope), I’m sure everyone can relate to it — we have every intention of at last following through with what we’ve decided, only to find our resoluteness followed the sun in it’s journey, and our resolve dissolved with the setting of the sun.
According to researchers, 80 percent of New Year’s resolutions are broken within one year. Some of the reasons they give are: All or none thinking, no plan to follow through and no vision. These things aren’t restricted to just our New Year’s resolutions, however; they’re also reasons why sometimes our best intentions as Christians often fail.
We often resolve to be more kind, more loving, more like Christ — after all, we all understand that is the ultimate goal of the Christian, to become like Christ, yet we often find ourselves falling woefully short in our endeavors, and, just like when we fail to keep our New Year’s resolutions, become defensive, depressed and give up trying.
This happens with all or none thinking. We don’t leave ourselves any “wiggle” room and when we can’t accomplish what we’ve resolved to do because of our weakness and feebleness, we give up trying. It happens also when we decide to do ... without having any idea or plan of how to accomplish it. Again we end up becoming discouraged and quit. While it probably isn’t really damaging to us when we fail to keep our New Year’s resolutions, it can be disastrous to a Christian when we make resolutions and we find ourselves unable to keep them. Why?
It plays into our adversary Satan’s hand by giving him something more to accuse us of. He’s quick to point out our failure, and if our attitudes have been allor-nothing, there’s no way we will call upon the Lord because we are ashamed we failed. The same is true of if we decide to do ... without any idea or plan of how to go about doing it, and because we had no plan or idea, it is certain we will fail to accomplish what we set out to do. Again, the enemy is quick to point out our failure and we are too ashamed to admit we failed because of our own device.
Many have been the ministries that have failed because they were put into place without consulting The Lord; they were started because “it seems like a good idea” or “see the need, heed the calling” and many other euphemisms we have accumulated in Christianity over the years. We quote the first part of Proverbs 29:18, “Where there is no vision, the people perish” and, like a horse grabbing the bit, become runaways soon tiring of what wasn’t really vision-based on God’s Word but our own desires.
It’s not wrong to make resolutions, but it is wise to consider whether the resolutions we make are realistic and accomplishable — the same with decisions in our Christian lives. Jesus had a lot to say about that. In Luke 14:28-30 He said, “For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.”
We should make sure that all decisions relating to our Christianity are made realistically, and the realistic truth is this: We cannot accomplish it on our own, no matter how strong our resolution. The Word tells us “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.” The good news is, we don’t have to accomplish it on our own — Philippians 1:6 tells us, “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” God has begun the work in us through Jesus and we can depend on Him to finish it. Fail I might in New Year’s resolutions, but I trust our Savior for everything I have need of...Do YOU?.
••• Editor’s note: Charlie Newman is pastor of Avoca Christian Church. To contact him, e-mail pastor@ pastorcharlie.net, or write in care of The Times at prtnews@nwaonline.com or P.O. Box 25, Pea Ridge, AR 72751.