I have been on and off about New Year’s Resolutions – first I said no. I mean, why bother when we can’t even keep them. Silly. 😉 But then I discovered how much fun it is to sit down and make a plan or set a goal, and so I have made some New year’s Resolutions the past few years. I haven’t kept them all, but I don’t regret setting them. It’s like a quote I once read:
“Shoot for the moon and you will land among stars.” -Unknown
Last year I resolved to learn to rope. I didn’t do well at that, but I did learn to ride a lot better! I need more hours in the saddle before I am ready to handle a rope, too. And it was fun! This year – well, I have some goals and plans, but the most important one is not a cut-and-dried goal…
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My New Year’s Resolution is to be more present with my kids, make memories with them! To spend more time with my husband in his work. (we both enjoy that!) And to be more fully engaged with local Christians – fellowshipping, meeting, caring, spending time together. I hate how life has a way of just slipping along and before you know it, the year is gone and who did I actually take time to sit down and care about?! I want to change that.
On that note, I was thinking about New Year’s Resolutions for Christians. It might make a good study for the month of January. Take 3 days on each point, study what God has to say on the subject. My words can be wrong – but God’s Word is never wrong! The Bible is always 100% relevant, applicable, and useful for our present situation.
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10 New Year’s Resolutions for Christians in 2020
1. Be a peacemaker.
Matthew 5:9 It is so easy to get worked up about things; people who wrong us, family drama, church drama, etc. But resolve to be the one who brings peace. Don’t spread the rumors, don’t listen to the stories, don’t join the clique. Be the one who initiates peace and unity.
2. Only do things that are pleasing to God.
John 8:30 Jesus made the statement that he only does those things that please the Father. He is our Older Brother and our perfect example – so we too, should only do the things that please our Father. We are not saved and justified just so we can do whatever we like – our salvation comes at a great price! Therefore, Paul tells us, you are not your own. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
3. Always do the work of the Lord.
1 Corinthians 15:57-58 This old broken world makes it seem pointless to do good works. But it is not pointless. We need to keep on working, keep standing steady on God’s Word. Nothing done for Christ is lost.
4. Triumph in Christ.
2 Corinthians 2:13 This is only possible by the power of God’s Spirit within you. To triumph over depression, bad moods, grumpy attitudes, jealousy, selfishness – this is a bigger miracle than healing from sickness! Ask God to fill you with His Spirit, and walk in obedience and humility, and you will begin to triumph in Christ!
5. Die to self every day.
2 Corinthians 4:9-11 This is the secret to victory over sin. To die to self; all MY desires, MY will, MY plans – and offer myself as a sacrifice to God, daily. Dying to my need to be right, dying to my need to be respected, dying to my need for comfort… dying to ME daily. This is what ‘taking up my cross’ means. It’s not some woo-woo theory – it is painful, daily, death to self and all my flesh desires. Wanting to get back at someone who has hurt me, wanting to profit at someone else’s expense, thinking only of my own interests – these selfish desires and habits need to die, so I can be transformed to the image of Jesus Christ.
6. Walk by faith.
2 Corinthians 5:5-7 Faith that God’s Word is true. Faith that He will fulfill His Word. Faith that God will take care of me, also faith that He will punish sinners – like He said. Faith that He will guide me every day. Faith that if I live a life fully given to God, and walk by the power of the Spirit – everything I do will be rewarded by God. Maybe not in this life – maybe not physically – but rewards of an eternal nature.
7. Always be rejoicing in the Lord.
2 Corinthians 6:9-11 Life is often hard. Painful. Unexpected trials. But when we have the assurance of God’s love, we can rejoice in the midst of our trials, because we know that God uses everything in our lives to draw us closer to Him, and form us into the image of Christ. If we have this faith in our hearts, we can be like the apostles who sang hymns at midnight when they were in jail. Acts 16:25
8. Give thanks for everything.
Ephesians 5:19-21 Again – we don’t feel like giving thanks in every circumstance! But here we can go back to giving our bodies as a living sacrifice; giving thanks whether we feel thankful or not! It doesn’t say: “give thanks of you feel thankful”, no, we need to give thanks – period. End of story. It is a command, and this is where we need to obey in faith. If you start giving thanks regularly, I bet you will start to have more peace in tough circumstances. It just works that way!
9. Let Christ be exalted in my body.
Philippians 1:19-21 We like to sing about giving it all for Jesus’, but when it comes to our body and what we do with it – there we take a step backwards. We want to do things we want to do. We have freedom, right? But here’s the thing – when Jesus Christ redeemed us from the curse of death, he paid an immense price! So we should not take that lightly. Our eating habits, manner of dress, how we care for our bodies – these things all need to be surrendered to jesus and His Lordship. I want my body to glorify Him this year.
10. Be humble.
1 Peter 5:5 Humility is such a tricky thing, isn’t it? The thing I like to remind myself of, is that other people’s opinion is worthless to me. Only what God thinks of me, matters! Whether others think we are good, or whether they think we are bad – throw it into the trash! I only consider whether God is pleased with me.
“Do not desire to be the principal man in the church. Be lowly. Be humble. The best man in the church is the man who is willing to be a doormat for all to wipe their boots on, the brother who does not mind what happens to him at all, so long as God is glorified.” Charles Spurgeon
I hope this list of New Year’s resolutions for Christians has prodded your mind to think of what is truly important, what needs to come first in our lives. It surely has given me a lot to think about, as I looked up verses and reflected on these things. May God bless your new year, and may your life reflect His, in every way.
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