By Shenalyn Page
The short answer is YES! All things are possible with Christ.
But what about that long list of New Year’s resolutions you haven’t kept? You made them with the best intentions, but perhaps somewhere around January 23, you gave up on them entirely.
If that’s you, don’t despair. This assurance is for you: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).
You Can’t Do This Alone
Have you ever seen children clinging to a parent’s hand on a steep, rocky hill? On their own, there is no way they could scale the mountain. But if they keep moving their little legs and letting their parent hold their hand tight, they will make it to the top. That is what it is like to trust God to help you reach your goals.
On our own, we are completely incapable of reaching any worthwhile goals. “Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Then may you also do good who are accustomed to do evil” (Jeremiah 13:23). Without God transforming our hearts, we don’t even have the desire to follow Him. We may want to improve ourselves so that we look better to others or feel better about ourselves, but the desire to honor God comes only from Him. Thus, the first step to keeping your New Year’s resolutions is to admit that you need God’s help and guidance.
Set Godly Goals
Jesus tells us to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:32). When you make resolutions that revolve around knowing God and living for Him, you will find that other things in your life begin to fall into place. You’ll still face challenges, but God will walk with you through every difficulty.
Choose Daily
Setting a New Year’s resolution at the beginning of the year is a great step. But it’s even more critical to recommit each day to following God. Letting our focus slip when school or work piles up is easy, so make a daily decision to pursue God and the goals He has placed on your heart. “I will sing praise to your name forever, that I may daily perform my vows” (Psalm 61:8).
Make a Step-by-Step Plan
Let’s say that one of your New Year’s resolutions is to understand the Bible better. How are you going to do that? And what exactly do you mean by “understand the Bible better”? Reaching your goal will be much more challenging if you leave it nebulous. Try making one of these resolutions instead: “I am going to read the Bible for 15 minutes at 7:00 a.m. each day.” Or “I will sign up for a Bible correspondence course and do one lesson per week.” Or “I will attend the group Bible study at my church each week.”
Learn to Love the Process
To lose ten pounds, you must learn to love being active and eating wholesome food. To make straight A’s, you must learn to enjoy studying. To grow in your Christian walk, you must learn to love cultivating your friendship with God. Learn to enjoy the process as much as you value the goal you are working toward.
Transformation Is Real
Choosing godly New Year’s resolutions and pursuing them with all your heart will transform you. Even if you decide to modify some of your goals, working toward them and depending entirely on God will spark positive changes in you. You will grow closer to Christ and develop your abilities to overcome difficulties.
So take some time to prayerfully set New Year’s resolutions for 2023. Then lean into your goals and lean on Jesus!
“Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:12–14).