Question: "What sort of New Year’s Resolution should a Christian make?"

Answer: The practice of making New Year’s resolutions goes back over 3000 years to the ancient Babylonians. There is just something about the start of a New Year that gives us the feeling of a fresh start and a new beginning. In reality, there is no difference between December 31st and January 1st. Nothing mystical occurs at midnight on December 31st. The Bible does not speak for or against the concept of New Year’s resolutions. However, if a Christian determines to make a New Year’s resolution, what kind of resolution should he or she make?

Common New Year’s resolutions are: to quit smoking, to stop drinking, to manage money better, and spend more time with family. By far the most common New Year’s resolution is to lose weight, in conjunction with exercising more and eating healthier. These are all good goals to set. However, 1 Timothy 4:8 instructs us to keep exercise in perspective: “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” The vast majority of New Year’s resolutions, even among Christians, are in relation to physical things. This should not be.

Many Christians make New Year’s resolutions to pray more, to read the Bible every day, and to attend church more regularly. These are fantastic goals. However, these New Year’s resolutions fail just as often as the non-spiritual resolutions, because there is no power in a New Year’s resolution. Resolving to start or stop doing a certain activity has no value unless you have the proper motivation for stopping or starting that activity. For example, why do you want to read the Bible every day? Is it to honor God and grow spiritually, or is it because you have just heard that it is a good thing to do? Why do you want to lose weight? Is it to honor God with your body, or is it for vanity, to honor yourself?

Philippians 4:13 tells us, “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” John 15:5 declares, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” If God is the center of your New Year’s resolution, it has chance for success, depending on your commitment to it. If it is God’s will for something to be fulfilled, He will enable you to fulfill it. If a resolution is not God honoring and/or is not in agreement in God’s Word, we will not receive God’s help in fulfilling the resolution.

So, what sort of New Year’s resolution should a Christian make? Here are some suggestions: (1) Pray to the Lord for wisdom (James 1:5) in regards to what resolutions, if any, He would have you make; (2) Pray for wisdom as to how to fulfill the goals God gives you; (3) Rely on God’s strength to help you; (4) Find an accountability partner who will help you and encourage you; (5) Don’t become discouraged with occasional failures; instead allow them to motivate you further; (6) Don’t become proud or vain, but give God the glory. Psalm 37:5-6, “Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.”

One of my resolutions is to study harder in my faith and to seek being blessed with the armor of God's word.

Any and all ministering to help me accomplish my resolution to grow stronger in my faith and my knowledge of God's word would be a tremendous blessing.
To accomplish my goal I intend to study God's word much more diligently, pray daily for guidance from the Holy Spirit, and look to my brothers and sisters in Christ for fellowship and support.

Amen to that!

He is worthy of all we can offer Him!

Liberal? Having a hard time coming up with some New Years resolutions?

Let me help…

Start telling the truth. To everyone. All the time. Even in elections.
Find a cure for tantrums.
Vote once. Even in off years. Just in your State. Your County.
Try to put humans (especially the unborn) above animals.
Tell the truth to blacks about which party REALLY supported them in the past, and does the most to “free” them now.
Stop trading cigarettes and other favors to the elderly and homeless for votes.
Acknowledge that “Pro Choice” means two choices- 1. Have the baby 2. Kill the baby
Be proud of being a liberal (if that is intellectually possible). Stop hiding behind sugar coated terms like “progressive” when what you really mean is “I want to do whatever I want to do…”
Stop complaining about big business while at the same time living in the lap of luxury buying their products.
You ‘greeny’ silly little granola eating Birkenstock wearing environmentalists- replace your 1973 VW Bus. It is not ‘eco friendly’. And while you’re at it, please don’t tell me you are ‘Mr. Save the Planet’ when you are doing it on your computer- made by low cost Chinese labor… shipped here in big tankers on the ocean, using diesel fuel… made from plastics, which are petroleum products… trucked to the store, which is probably ALSO a big business (like Best Buy or Office Depot).
Realize that “Hope”, “Change” and “Yes we can!” are slogans, and not solutions, plans, or actions.
Realize that talking louder does not make your point more likely to be logical.
Take some courses in History, Law, and Government so you can understand that Judges are not legislators.
Stop crying about Fox News. The biggest problem you have with them is that, as Jack Nicholson said, “YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH!” What you really don’t like is, someone trying to get out the side of the story you would rather see swept under the rug.
Happy New Year!!!

Shame on you, Gio.

damn !...I'm not even safe here...

You got that right.

Happy New Year!



I got 3 kisses, one from each of my children

This was in a thread earlier and too cute!



Yes, He is worthy!

Republicans arent safe anywhere now!
Say thank you George!

hey...thats my kiss !!...lol...

I'll trade you one kiss...for two prayers...God knows I could use it !...lol...God Bless You...

The two prayers? Anytime!

God bless you too.

1 question...are your knees sore yet ?.. ...I like the way that you stand your ground with kindness...and...conviction...I'm a BIG fan...Happy New Years ...and...Good Night

That EVERYONE could see another human being as their equal, with respect and compassion for them.

Living would be so much more intense, and enriched.

Not to worry Gio... it won't be long till people will be begging REPS for help in solving problems. We already know DEMS have no solutions, except counter culture ones that is.

My resolution was made as a result of prayers for deliverance from the coming ecomomic and political storms of 2009. In Nov-Dec I recieved the guidance I sought. It was not to hoard food or buy more guns. It was simply to "Seek ye the Kingdom". The kingdom I seek is not one of violence, hate and chaos, but one of peace, forgiveness and order. Happy New Year.

Happy New Year to all.