Turning to a new calendar year leaves us feeling hopeful of better things. Everyone seems to be talking about how good it will be to leave 2020 behind. If only it were as easy as that. Actually, there are likely many good things we might recall about the past year, if only we took the time to count our blessings. But, this is a time when people talk about moving forward and many of us are likely consider changes for the year ahead. The idea of making a New Year’s resolution is viewed quite negatively in the eyes of many, likely because such resolutions are so often made and so frequently forgotten.
A resolution is a “firm determination…the act of resolving to do something.” If made without firm determination, resolutions become little more than promises made to be broken. These are not resolutions at all, but wishful thinking or good intention. Perhaps, commitment is a better word. A commitment is “a pledge to do something….The state of being bound emotionally or intellectually to some course of action….”
Whether we call it resolution or commitment, the Christian’s life is marked by new beginnings—changes in attitude and performance that lead us in the direction of spiritual growth. Spiritual renewal is a daily part of Christian living. The apostle Paul said that the inward man is “being renewed day by day” (2 Cor. 4:16). The Colossian brethren were told to “put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him…” (Col. 3:10). Every Christian must take an active part in daily renewal. This includes a firm determination and pledge to put away the old man of sin and live for righteousness.
Although this is easier said than done; it can be accomplished with the help of our Savior (Ph. 4:13). However, the first step is often the most difficult. An Old Chinese proverb tells us that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Whether we call it a resolution or a commitment, the important thing is to get started on the journey that leads us closer and closer to Jesus. As we enter into another year, let us not think of all the steps which must be taken, but consider those steps which must be taken today to make this year a new beginning to the glory of God, our Creator.
–Glen Elliott–