Have you ever wondered why people make New Year’s resolutions? It seems like you’re looking at the end from the beginning. On January first, all kinds of promises are made that will be completed by the end of the year. But who’s to say that they will be completed, if at all? Some promises are broken by the end of the very first day. Some, well, they’re simply not logical. “I’m going to lose 100 pounds this year.” “I’m going to get out of all of my debt.” “I’m going to stop being a racist.” “I’m going to stop working so hard and spend more time with my family.” Some are more reasonable but still fraught with trickery and deceit: building a better budget, cooking one thing new every week, reading more books, joining a fitness club, creating a cleaning schedule you’ll stick to, drinking less, stopping to smoking, drugs, and my favorite; eating veggies regularly. You can think of a million different resolutions that don’t come to fruition because, guess what, you were never going to carry through with your resolutions in the first place? Why? Well, you didn’t do it last year either or the year before. Remember? It’s all mind games to get you in the proper frame of mind. For example, you start out at the beginning of a race that you haven’t prepared for in one year. This year, you’ve decided you’re going to finish this race. The problem is the race is 365 miles long. There’s no way a single, positive, thought motivator is going to get you from day one to the end. You see the end from the beginning, the next year ahead, but there is no preparation, no motivation, no perseverance, and no rational thought process. In the midst of the drunken drudgery of watching the “ball” drop down in Times Square, the ten second countdown is commenced and here we go again. Another year. It’s going to be better than the last one. Or is it?
Resolutions. The tip of the iceberg. All these hopes and dreams will be thwarted because there is no substance in them. They are flighty musings with no permanence. They are wasted thoughts superficially crafted which permeate your mind like water squeezed out of a sponge. No depth, no precision, just an afterthought. There are those psychologists and life coaches which will fill you with the latest articles on how to complete your resolutions with purpose and clarity. How to books have been written about this, ad nauseam. So, you’re ready for the next year. The race is on. You’re locked and loaded. You will vanquish your intended target. Full speed ahead. Then, depression sets in. Sometimes, there very same day you begin! Sometimes, it takes a little bit longer, but in the end, you never reach the end. Why? Because resolutions are doomed to fail before they start. The premise is wrong. There are many secular reasons for this which, from my perspective, are quite frankly, a waste of time. So, if you want the straight answer, I’ll give it to you. For those of you who have no interest in God, now is probably a good time to stop reading this story.
God doesn’t care about resolutions. Resolutions are a firm decision in doing something or not doing something. That’s based on what work you’re trying to accomplish, or not. See, God is not a works-based deity. He doesn’t need you to do anything. It’s never about needs for God. God is self-sustaining. He’s immutable and self-sufficient. He never has any need and certainly does not derive any need from His creation. That’s why He’s God and we’re not. However, God wants from us. What does God want? Well, He wants a relationship with us. And, the relationship is not based on any merit that we have done. Whether it’s losing 50 pounds or helping the physically challenged across the street, those works do not get you into right relationship with God. You can do all the good things you’ll ever do for the rest of your life and sure, people will think you’re a great person, but God won’t think so. You can give money to the poor, work at soup kitchens, cure cancer and nada, no relationship. Now, you might ask, so how do I get to have a relationship with God? Funny, you should ask. You don’t need to take notes. It’s pretty simple, really. God makes the first move. Yes, God, not you. There’s really not a great deal of debate about this. God is sovereign. He’s in control. He’s the Potter and we are the clay. His universe. So, He imparts grace to whomever He wants. The offer is there. Now, there are a series of steps, but for the purpose of this story, just know God makes the first move, ok? Then, depending on which sect of Christianity you believe in, you can accept or reject the offer of His grace. Yes, Christianity. See, when grace is offered, it is dependent on one subsequently believing in Christ and in Christ alone. Why? Well, because Jesus claimed to be God, so what Christ did for us on the cross is important because of who He is, not just what He did. If Christ is not God, then we are still dead in our sins and have no hope of ever seeing God when we die.
This is the resolution I must place on your lap. Remember, resolution is a firm decision in doing something or not doing something. Don’t you believe that thinking about where you’re going to spend the rest of your life merits some resolution on your part? See, you can’t get there without God. And, you can’t get there if you don’t give your life to Jesus. Sure, Christianity can be wrong. There are many religions to choose from, or not. You could choose to be an atheist, a naturalist, worship chickens. Go ahead. See, in Christianity, it’s not about proselytizing or converting or whatever. You’ll never find me on a street corner with a sign. Why? I told you, God always makes the first move. And, if He decided that His Son, Jesus, was to be the only way to have a relationship with Him, and, if Christianity happens to be true, then for those who don’t believe in Jesus, well, no relationship, no God. Yes, some would say Christianity is an intolerant religion. You must believe in Jesus to have a relationship with God or else. But, let’s think it out for a moment. If Jesus really did rise from the dead and is alive today, and is coming back, wouldn’t you want to believe in Him? If not, Jesus is just some guy who lived 2000 years ago and is lying in a grave somewhere and fooled 2.5 billion people to believe in Him. If that isn’t enough, all his followers (they were called apostles), well, they were all martyred for what they believed in (except John, he was exiled to an island called Patmos). So, if they all got killed for a lie, well, that’s kind of strange, wouldn’t you think? I mean, getting butchered and mutilated for a lie is pretty weird. This is not drinking Kool-Aid or Waco. Back then, the Romans had much better torture. So, I figure, this year, why don’t you think of an eternal resolution.