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Does Jesus even care about our New Year’s Resolutions? Let’s dive in!

“Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord…” Lamentations 3:40.

It’s resolution time. Res·o·lu·tion

rezəˈlo͞oSH(ə)n/ noun    a firm decision to do or not to do something

The making of New Year’s resolutions is said to go way back to the Babylonians. You may remember the people that tried to build the tower to Heaven? They supposedly wanted to start the New Year off right so they made all kinds of promises to each other to earn favor with the gods they served. They would promise to repay debts owed, return things that they had borrowed to their neighbor, lose weight and even vow to be nicer if need be. Well, maybe I added in a few current century resolutions there. Writer’s privilege. (smile)

Over 4,000 years ago, in ancient Babylon, festivals were held to welcome the New Year. The first new moon after the vernal equinox, (that day in March when we have equal amounts of sunlight and darkness) was the signaling of the beginning of the New Year. The Babylonians celebrated with Akitu, a religious festival with eleven different rituals, one for each day.

Around 46 B.C., Julius Caesar decided January 1 was to be the first day of the year, bringing to light the Julian calendar and honoring Janus, the Roman god of beginnings. Janus had two faces; one allowed him to look back to the past and the other to look forward to the future. The Romans would sacrifice to Janus, participate in wild parties and even give one another gifts! (Did you know that Caesar even had to add 90 extra days to the year in order to realign the Roman calendar with the sun?!) 

[Tweet “Making resolutions isn’t anything new, the Babylonians hold the patent! “]

Living with a sinful nature, one that we are truly born with, we are always trying to be better, do better, look better, talk better, you get the idea. We never feel we are truly good enough. And you know what? We really are not! Look at what the Apostle Paul had to say about it in the Book of Romans:

“And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.”

Just as with New Year’s resolutions, it is done with good intention.

We want to…

• lose weight

• stop smoking

• exercise more

• take better care of ourselves

• save more money

• read the Bible all the way through

• pay it forward

• be nice to our impossible co-worker

• take the stairs

• have family dinner

• de-clutter

• make coffee at home

• sponsor an orphan

• give to missions

• go to bed earlier

• stop gossiping

• call instead of text

And the list goes on and on and on. We may really intend to change but as the saying goes, nine times out of ten, we fail. True, there are self-help books and tons of material to help us through some of those get-healthier, live longer, eat better resolutions but to CHANGE matters of the heart? We cannot do it without God.

Paul speaks of a turn-around when Jesus stopped him cold on the road to Damascus, he explains it in Philippians:

“But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ…”

He says he made a change, he lost all things! He goes on to say he considered them rubbish, the word Σκύβαλον, giving reference to manure, dung. That word is used only one time in the New Testament!

Paul was being quite dramatic when he speaks of laying down EVERYTHING that he might GAIN Christ! He finishes his thought by saying, “…and be found in him not having a righteousness of my own, that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.” Philippians 3:7-9 NIV.

Not a righteousness of our own, but righteousness from being made right by God and faith in Jesus Christ.

So, there is not anything wrong with having new goals and new aspirations at all. The Bible says to be renewed! “Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Psalms 51:10. And taking care of the Body, the Mind and the Spirit are all good things.

When you make a New Year’s resolution this year, consider your priorities and remember the most important thing to change is your commitment to Jesus Christ.

Does He mean everything to you or do you fit Him in where it is convenient?

Do you talk to Him every day or only when you are in need?

Is He first on the list in the morning or an afterthought as you doze off?

If He isn’t Lord of everything then He isn’t Lord at all and that would be the best change you or I could make.

Seems everything else falls into place when we put Him first and that He DOES care about! Tomorrow we will look at Part TWO of this resolution thing and the best scripture I could find to support the tradition. You might be surprised!

What kind of resolutions are you making for the New Year? Do they include fasting and praying more? Of course you need my book, The Daniel Fast, A Devotional! It is available in paperback or Kindle at Amazon.com. Easy-to-read with 21 days of devotions, enough for a three week Daniel Fast or for any type of fast! Also includes Daniel Fast Recipes after each devotion and three days of preparation devotions to explain fasting, why we do it, how we do it, etc. Remember, fasting without prayer is just a diet so fast unto the Lord. 

Wishing you the best year yet in 2016. Could this be the year that Jesus Christ returns for His Bride, The Church? Let’s make plans to join Him when He comes.

Sharing with Wake Up Wednesday, Wholehearted Wednesday, Women with Intention, A Little R & R, Sitting among friends