Christ’s death, resurrection, and ascension are God’s eternal resolution. When Jesus cried out “It’s finished” (John 19:30) the final piece in God’s plan fell into place. This completes God’s Holy Trinity where the believer has an unshakable foundation for eternal life.
Every New Year people make resolutions. They set goals and plan for better things. Their efforts start strong and often run out of energy soon afterward. And what they thought was hope turns out to be wishful thinking.
I use to have trouble keeping New Year resolutions. They weren’t achievable because I set them too high. My life was grounded in pride and full of grandiose ideas. Fantasy was the definition I attached to hope.
No wonder my reaction to break resolutions ended with resentments. Every time my expectations didn’t turn out to my satisfaction I became bitter. And those behaviors show my life without God’s saving grace.
It wasn’t until God saved me, I found the real resolution. When God rescued me and introduced me to Christ my life took on a profound change. Everything I understood about life wasn’t right since I lived in darkness away from God’s truth.
Christ brought light to my eyes and has been teaching me how to live in God’s will. And this experience leaves me no excuses not to pick up my cross and walk in Christ’s footprints.
The trouble with New Year’s resolutions is leaving God out of the equation. Every time we don’t include Christ in our decisions the outcome doesn’t turn out to our liking. God has commanded us to turn to Him for everything (Proverbs 3:5-6). So the problem isn’t making personal goals, but how we understand the way God wants us to follow.
God’s resolution isn’t an annual solution. Saving faith is a daily and sometimes an hourly reliance on Christ. Sin doesn’t take time off, nor does God’s enemy stop trying to destroy His creation. We can’t afford to be complacent and lose focus on the gift God has given us. Our faith must be active.
One of the best ways of keeping ourselves in God’s favor is a constant meditation on His word (Joshua 1:8, Psalms 1:2). God doesn’t force Himself on us. He has given us free will and by placing Him first we understand the real purpose of our wills.
Without the Holy Spirit, we are separated from Christ, and our souls are heading for eternal trouble. Don’t be mistaken God is watching the earnestness of our faith. Remember, God knows our hearts (1 Samuel 16:7).
The biggest change that occurs from trusting Christ is gaining His wisdom. We don’t have the spiritual knowledge in overcoming sin. Left to our resources, we can’t resist the lusts of the world. But Christ does and by abiding in Jesus, we tap into His strength. And through living in Christ’s body, we understand it’s better to plan for God’s eternal resolution than one center in preference.
So the next time you set goals, pause and seek Christ guidance. It’s God’s eternal resolution we should consider before making decisions. Everything we do must be for His glory!
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