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The Christian New Year’s Resolution Challenge

By Michael Griego on January 8, 2016 • ( 0 )

New Year’s Resolutions are fun and silly. Some are certainly serious and well intended. Here’s one that will change your life. ♦

Of course we’ve all done it. The proverbial New Year’s Resolution where we promise this or that or whatever and within days or weeks have already broken it or failed miserably.

Most likely it’s not too big a deal.

Most New Year’s Resolutions are fun and silly. Some are serious and certainly well intended. Not to say they can’t be good, productive, and even lead to successful achievement. The strong and the motivated set them as goals and practice deliberate actions that can and will drive changed behavior and activities that will yield logical, natural results and consequences.

But that’s the few, the steady and persistent. May you not be dissuaded from your own good intentions, personal goals, and targets!

But what about a Christian New Year’s Resolution? Here’s one that’s more spiritual than physical, more practical than frivolous, more difficult than impossible.

But it can change your life. At least how you do life everyday.

A Biblical Mandate?
First of all, what does the Bible say about resolutions? Actually plenty:

The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps. – Proverbs 16:9
That our God may make you worthy of His calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power. – 2 Thessalonians 1:11
The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. – Psalms 23.1
And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve… But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. – Joshua 24:15
Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! – Psalm 139:23-24
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose. – Romans 8:28
Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance. – Ephesians 6:18

The Scriptures are rich with the theme of commitment to prayerful submission to God. We may plan, but He does what it is He wants. We should want to be on the right side of that.

Anything less is a big miss.

The Resolution-Challenge
So what’s the Christian New Years Resolution-Challenge? It’s as follows:

I resolve to not do anything without first praying for God’s input, love, power, wisdom, and leading.

Like I said, it’s spiritual, practical, and difficult. And therefore it’s something that most of us may try once or twice but soon default to our normal practice of a “God help me!” or “God I need you!” prayer and then hope for the best.

What I’m suggesting is taking all things to God, large or small, with a prayer as follows:

“God, please lead me in this. Through your Spirit in me give me love, power and wisdom. Should I _______ (option 1) or should I _______ (option 2)?

It really is as simple as that.

Then pause for a “reply.” Yes, wait for a sense, a notion, a thought, a jolt, a view, an idea. If nothing comes, then ask again. If you get a response of any sort, ask again for validation. God is not in the business of tricking us. The enemy does that, so be wary.

God Wants All of Us
Truth be told, we’re too controlling and spiritually independent. We talk a good game about our reliance on prayer, God, faith, etc., but we really are mostly running our life from our own Mission Control. God wants all of us, our spirit, soul, body, heart, mind, and will. It’s not only some or part of us, or only on some big and important occasions. But all parts, all the time. About anything and everything.

Again, spiritual, practical, and difficult. But all-encompassing, real, and life-changing. Start fresh. It’s a brand new year.

Do you have Godly resolve in all things large or small?
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“To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” – 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12