New Year's Resolutions

I hear and read a lot of people make goals for the next year that they want to accomplish and improve on. I personally don't make New Year's Resolutions because my feelings are that if it's something that is going to take a year to improve upon then it's probably something that needs to be taken one day at a time and thereby becomes a daily resolution. The reason I say this is because the Bible teaches us in James 4:13-16 that we don't even know what's going to happen tomorrow so how can we possibly know what will be in our lives in a year! We just need to trust God and make goals but say "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that." Check this out, this is really cool. The Bible really does have all the answers.

James 4:13-16
Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit"- 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that." 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.

If people make their resolution to improve on their financial standing be it debt, payments, mortgage, whatever, they need to trust God and wait on Him and His will. It's okay to make goals if you set your goals with flexibility so that you aren't boasting in your arrogance but with faith you are trusting God and ready to change your goals to fit His will. That's where the "if the Lord wills" part comes in.

And especially for those that make their New Year Resolutions to fall in love or find that special someone, Psalms 37:4 says "Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart." The focus should be on Jesus and if you delight yourself in Him, just totally fall in head-over-heels love for Jesus, He will give you the desires of your heart. I did this and now I have a beautiful wife. We fell in love as we talked about our love for God and what He had done in our lives, and read the Bible together. In my case God's will was for me to meet Katie and marry her, and each has to follow God's will for their individual lives.

I think the perfect New Year's Resolution is to devote myself to Jesus afresh every day. I didn't say to a church, or to any man, but to Jesus and to follow His Word, the Bible. That would be my resolution, I will take things one day at a time and not be anxious or worry about tomorrow or this coming year, but with faith I will re-dedicate myself to Jesus Christ each day and live for Him because I love Him and He loves me. I will make my requests known to God with prayer and thanksgiving and not be anxious about them but trust and have faith.

Phil. 4:6
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.