Spiritual Resolutions
People have made commitments around the dawning of a new year called New Year's Resolutions for generations. These commitments exhibit a resolve to make changes in one's life. Resolutions often emphasize weight loss, more exercise, becoming a better manager of time, or spending more time with one's family. In and of the commitment, Resolutions exist as opportunities to grow as an individual and develop new habits that lead to more excellent health in various areas in life.
As a follower of Jesus Christ, the believer must resolve to grow in their faith every year. Like setting a resolution, the Christian should prayerfully contemplate resolutions that promote deepening their relationship with the Lord and developing them as a disciple who makes disciples. As the new year begins, here are four critical spiritual resolutions each believer ought to consider making as a spiritual resolution in some form or fashion.
First, RESOLVE TO SEEK THE LORD. The new year offers new opportunities to seek the Lord by engaging His Word. Reading the Bible deeper allows the believer to know the Lord more intimately as the Bible serves as an instrument of God revealing himself to humanity. The critical component of seeking the Lord in scripture rests on the intentional nature of not reading the Word but authentically engaging the Bible to grow in understanding and truth.
There are many good approaches to engaging the Bible strategically. If you are new to the activity of encountering the Lord in the Word, then find a manageable method that guides you through the New Testament over a year. If you are more experienced in biblical engagement, then set a strategy to engage in areas of scripture that have either been overlooked, ignored, or not engaged intentionally. For example, maybe this is the year to read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation and if this is the resolution, then seek a good plan for success.
Second, RESOLVE TO SPEAK TO THE LORD. The engagement of God's Word provides vital truth for the believer's life. But God desires more than reading His Word. He wants to communicate with His child through prayer. Many times in life, prayer becomes a rote activity set aside for specific moments of the day. For example, at an early age, children in a Christian home are taught to prayer with a rote prayer at the dinner table. It sounded something like, "God is great, God is good, let us thank him for our food. By his hand, we are fed, so give us now our daily bread. Amen." The teaching of the child to pray exists as a critical component in their understanding and growth in the Lord, but without being intentional, speaking with the Lord becomes routine.
The new year offers the opportunity to set a spiritual resolution to grow in speaking with the Lord in prayer. The prayer of a child of God ought to declare the thoughts and issues of the heart. The activity provides the chance to share with Father and, more importantly, for the Father to speak to his child. The commitment to prayer flows from the model set forth by Christ. On numerous occasions, Jesus went away to be alone with his Father and to have a conversation with him in prayer. If Jesus committed to the practice of prayer, then how much more does the child of God need to devote to prayer today?
Third, RESOLVE TO SERVE THE LORD. The American Dream promotes the elevation of the self. The worldview encourages carrying out whatever actions are needed to climb the ladder of elevating the self above others. The impact means that people seek to live in a manner that serves the self and uses others as pawns in their pursuit. The Lord revealed and declared through the Bible that this American Dream does not align with the worldview of the Kingdom of God.
The ways of the flesh tempt people to live for the self, but the Lord desires that one would serve Him. The launching of the new year provides the opportunity to search the intentions, desires, and activities of life. As these reflections occur, believers can seek repentance when self-centered desires led to the pursuit of the elevation of the self. Such a moment of repentance opens the door for the resolution to serve the Lord. This commitment comes through the lowering of the self and the elevation of the Lord. It occurs when people begin to think of others more highly than themselves. The resolution flows from the seeking to know and fulfill how the Lord has formed one for God's purpose and glory. Which kingdom will receive the resolve to serve this new year, the self or the Lord?
Fourth, RESOLVE TO SHARE THE GOOD NEWS FROM THE LORD. Most people have a passion they like to discuss. Maybe last night's sporting event or an upcoming wedding dominates one's conversation. New grandparents pull out a cell phone quickly to show the latest images of their new grandchild. These conversations flow with ease and passion. There is nothing inherently wrong with such discussions. But the presence of these discussions offers an example of how the believer's desire and passion should drive the sharing of the gospel. Unfortunately, many believers tend to find a reason not to share in the moment and then find themselves never sharing. If believers are to share the gospel effectively, then each needs to resolve to make this activity part of life.
The spiritual resolution to share Jesus is the commitment to live out the expectation of the Lord. This resolution comes with resources and a promise. Many resources exist in developing approaches to sharing Jesus. These trainings aid in one's understanding of the gospel and equips them to share the good news. At the same time, the Lord promised to be with the believer in the activity of sharing the gospel. The spiritual resolution of sharing the good news from the Lord means that one commits to growing in their understanding of the gospel and sharing the message with those in need of hearing. This resolution indicates a resolve to live in a manner that intentionally seeks avenues to share Jesus.
As the year ends and the new year commences, many resolutions will be made. Each resolve comes with the intent of seeing personal growth in life. As a follower of Christ, one needs to see such a moment as an opportunity to make a spiritual resolution. Such resolutions provide the chance to grow and mature as a follower of Christ and develop a life more faithful in following the Lord. May this new year be a year of growing in Christ and going for Christ.
