Are You Making the Right Resolutions?

“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” – Isaiah 43:19

Christmas 2024 is in our rear-view mirror, and now a lot of us are talking about New Year’s resolutions. Possibly you’ve made one yourself. Maybe you’ve resolved to lose weight, start working out, or cut back on the amount of time you spend on your smart phone.

You’ll notice that most New Year’s resolutions are “me”-focused. I want to start doing this. I want to stop doing that. I want to be happy. 2025 is going to be MY year. I think you can see what I’m getting at. Most New Year’s resolutions aren’t bad … just self-absorbed and often pointless.

And as you probably know, most New Year’s resolutions fail within a few weeks. They tend to fail for two reasons: because they don’t have a strong motivation, or because they don’t have a point — a clearly-defined purpose. They don’t have something that a person can get fired up about. For example: If I carry out this resolution, my marriage will be saved. If I carry out this resolution, I’ll be able to afford to send my kids to college. If I carry out this resolution, I will have a 75% better chance of beating cancer.

 

So, how do we make resolutions and set goals that are not self-absorbed or pointless?

 

I’m convinced that the greatest resolutions in life are those that are grounded in Scripture, motivated by our love for Christ and carried out for the glory of God. One of the best ways to ensure that our resolutions are not shallow or pointless is to feed them through this three-part filter. Simply ask yourself:

 

1. Is my resolution solidly grounded in the Bible? If so, great! Move on to question number two.

2. Is my love for Christ my motivation for making this resolution? If so, fantastic, because the love that led Jesus to the cross for you and me is the greatest motivator of all! 

 

3. Am I going to carry out this resolution for my own glory or for the glory of God? The glory of God should be the end goal of everything we do, because the glory of God is the purpose of our existence in the first place.

 

All of us need goals to shoot for and resolutions to define our path. When our goals and resolutions survive the three-question filter, they pave the way for the greatest adventures of faith. So, if your resolution passes through these three filters, go for it! And let me know if I can help.

 Dane Davis is the pastor of Impact Christian Church, meeting Sundays at 8:30 and 10 a.m. at 16209 Kamana Road in Apple Valley. For more information, visit www.GreaterImpact.cc.