Are Resolutions Biblical?
We’ve all made one – A New Year’s Resolution. Whether it was to eat healthier, exercise more often, make personal improvements, improve financial situation, or something else, we have all attempted to change something for the new year (and likely stopped after a month) and better ourselves. But why is it that statistically around 90 percent of New Year’s Resolutions fail? Keep reading to see some practical tips to keeping your New Year’s Resolutions for 2024.
Before digging into the do’s and don’ts of making a New Year’s Resolution, let’s examine if making one of these decisions is a Biblically sound idea in the first place. Are New Year’s Resolutions biblical? The answer is yes…and no. It really all depends. A resolution is a decision to do or not to do something. Do we see resolutions throughout the Bible? Absolutely! For instance, the New Testament is full of commands to turn away from certain things (evil), and to cleave to certain things (good). And in many accounts in Scripture we find a person or a group of people resolve to turn from the wrong they are doing, and to obey the Lord in doing that which is right (Jonah, Israel, David, etc.). Every Christian ought to take time to examine his life against that of Christ’s life. We must ask ourselves the question: Am I Christlike? As we do so, inevitably, the Holy Spirit will make us aware of an area in our life that is not Christlike. When the area of our failure is exposed, we must then decide (resolve, if you prefer) to change from the way we’ve been living, to living as God would have us to live. This examination of our lives ought to take place frequently (let God direct you in how often). Now, while measuring our lives up to God’s Word ought to be a regular occurrence, the beginning of a new year offers a unique opportunity to dedicate your life to God in a fresh way. Resolutions are absolutely biblical, and the beginning of the new year is a great time to make some.
Why Don’t New Year’s Resolutions Last?
Many of us know someone (probably ourselves) who has publicly announced their new resolution for the year, and then promptly failed and stopped trying a couple weeks into the year. Why do so many resolutions meet their demise before the calendar flips to February? Here are three pitfalls to avoid when making a new resolution for 2024:
- Your Resolution is Too Broad
Some of us set good resolutions, but they are so broad that we have no gauge to analyze our progress. Example: “I’m going to get better at piano.” This is a good resolution, but it is broad and doesn’t offer a scale to measure success. Unless you set bench marks to set and pass (e.g. learn this song, learn this scale, practice 25 minutes a day), you will likely become discouraged and quit. Here’s another example: “I’m going to lose weight.” Again, this is a great resolution and tells your intention, but sets no concrete goal to strive for. Try instead to set the ideal weight you desire to reach, and then arrange smaller steps to help you accomplish your goal (e.g. # of calories each day, # of days a week exercising).
2. Your Resolution is Fleshly
Some resolutions we make are from an entirely fleshly motive. For instance, “I want to improve my skills at __________ so I can impress people.” Perhaps your motive might be, “I want to lose weight so I will look more attractive.” If the motivation behind your resolution is your fleshly desire (what I want) and is not motivated by a desire to please God, then it will fail, or at least be unprofitable. If it is motivated by your flesh, then it will be attempted by your flesh, and your flesh will fail.
3. Your Resolution is Unrealistic
Growth takes time…Often we wish to jump from where our body is now, to our ideal dream body overnight (maybe we give ourselves till March). Attempting to accomplish that will only lead to discouragement and quitting. Just as a small child must first learn to sit up, then crawl, then walk, and then run; even so we must learn to reach our goals one step at a time. Expecting to meet unrealistic goals in the first month will lead to discouragement and quitting your resolution all together. Set your end goal, and then enjoy each step along the way.
While New Year’s Resolutions often fail, they are certainly a good thing when approached correctly. Each one of us needs to stop and evaluate things in our lives, and make adjustment accordingly. We need to ask ourselves questions such as: How am I doing with my Bible reading, my prayer time, my witnessing, the stewarding of my body (health), my care for others, my faith, my discipline, my church attendance, my relationship with my wife, my relationship to my kids? It is needful to take time to reflect on what in our lives is pleasing to God, and what doesn’t line up with Christlikeness.
How to Make Resolutions that last:
- Examine Your Motive
We touched on this briefly earlier, but what is the motive behind your resolution? Do I want to improve my people skills so I can serve as a greeter at church, or do I want to improve my people skills so that people will like me better? Your resolution should primarily have the goal of pleasing God.
2. Expect God’s Help
If your resolution is something that God desires for you, and you have the right heart and motive, then you can expect God to help you! Remember to pray and ask God to enable you to do what it is that He’s put on your heart for you to do. Then expect in faith that He will enable you to do it!
3. Execute Your Plan
Once you’ve prayed and asked for God’s help, create a step by step plan that will help you to keep or reach your resolution and keep you from discouragement – Then execute! Go do it. The first month will likely be the hardest. Bad habits are difficult to break and good ones are hard to make, but with God’s enabling you can do anything He wants you to do!
I hope that as the ball drops in NYC in a little less than a week, you will have made some resolutions that are pleasing to the Lord and that you’ll be able to reach and accomplish with His help in 2024!