New Year's Resolutions

Here we are once again at the end of one year and the start of another. Over the past couple of days I've been reflecting on New Year's resolutions. You know the drill, you sit down and write out some personal goals you'd like to see happen over the next year.

The idea of spending some time reflecting on your life and thinking towards the future is good and important. But if you take an honest look at the results of annual resolutions in your life and the lives of those around you it's obvious there's a problem. For starters, most of us hardly make it to the end of the month, let alone the year, before we've given up on or forgotten what we wrote down New Year's Eve.

I was looking online today at some of the most common resolutions people make. It was about what you'd expect: work out more, achieve some life milestone, quit smoking, and the ever popular lose weight. Now those are all fine goals but I think they're also very revealing as to why it's so tough to get the results we hope for when we start the new year.

Most of our resolutions are external. Important and good, sure, but still external. What if instead of starting from the outside, we start with the heart, what the Bible in Proverbs describes as the "wellspring of life"?

God's desire is that we live from the heart and we can't afford to abandon that when it comes to something as important as life goals. Jesus's constant conflicts with the Pharisees are so revealing here. They knew the letter of the law very well. They knew all the external stuff but somehow they missed the spirit of the law. They missed the heart

In Matthew 23:25-26 Jesus says, "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean."

It's not that Jesus doesn't care about the external. He does. But He also knows that if we start there we'll more than likely end there and what God is really after is our hearts. If He can get a hold of our hearts, transform us at the core of our beings, then all that good and important external stuff will follow. That's the promise of the Gospel.

With that in mind I'd like to offer a few ideas when it comes to making resolutions. First, ask God what He has for you this year.

I've been thinking a lot lately about Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future"

We don't get to know everything God has planned for us but there are things He does want to reveal to us. If we don't ask, we'll miss out on that part of our relationship with Him. He knows us better than we know ourselves and His plans for us our good. Don't miss out on that.

Second, search our own heart and God given desires and bring what you find there before God.

This is the other half of step one. Just as God wants us to ask Him what He has, He also wants us to look at the desires He's laid on our hearts and then include Him in them.

Third, ask God how these goals and desires will be attacked then be vigilant to fight for your heart.

I can't tell you how important this is. Your heart, your God given desires, will be opposed. I 100% guarantee it. You'll have to fight and fight hard for the life God is trying to give you. But it's worth it. It's incredibly worth it.

Finally, be willing to do this more than just once a year

It's great to have New Year's as an annual milestone and reminder to have this conversation with God but over the course of a year of walking with God your faith will grow and you will find more life. When that happens new desires will be revealed to you. Don't let this conversation end on New Year's. God is constantly pouring out life and we can have it if only we're willing to constantly receive it.