“Without Me you can do nothing…” (John 15:5)
It does seem strange, if not plain superstitious to place special emphasis on the first day of January to make resolutions in order to enhance our personal lives. To follow this model is to be driven along by a worldly system that more often than not, fails which is usually focused on mere temporal aspects of life.
This not to say that resolving to exercise more, eat healthy, read more Scripture, pray more, or even spend more time with the family are futile things to pursue -as we know they are beneficial. But my query is – what motivates us to make and pursue these resolutions? My guess is that often as Christians we want to pursue physical and spiritual matters in order to improve our lives and in doing so, be good stewards, which will please the Lord. We may even have resolves (which we all should) to be more like Christ in our daily walk.
But this lifetime resolve should not rely on kick-starts on the first of January. We are to be resolved every day of the year to grow in Jesus Christ. But how on earth do we do this? How can we make a go of this kind of ongoing resolution?
Its so easy to think like the world and rely on a ‘lets dig in and through sheer determination and self - discipline, we’ll get the job done.’
The believer does need to be self disciplined in our pursuit of holiness and to be good stewards of what the Lord has given us. That is a given. (1Tim. 4:7).
But we must never forget “Unless our resolve is the out-flowing of the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, we, like Peter, will fail (Mt. 26:31-34). As Jesus said to his disciples, “without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5)… (Grace quotes)
Let our ongoing resolves progress with the understanding that God is the one enabling, compelling, and willing all that takes place as we discipline ourselves unto godliness. May you all know God’s rich blessings in 2018.