2024 is here! You think to yourself, ‘this is the year I’m going to change.’ A few years ago on a lonely New Years Eve, I made a list of resolutions. I created a set of rules and guidelines, believing that they would guarantee my success. My list contained things like “this year I’ll work out more” or “be a better Christian”. But, like most New Years Resolutions, I struggled to make it past January, and by February my list was a distant memory.
There’s nothing wrong with seeking self-improvement; it is good to work at health and holiness. The problem comes when we try to “change ourselves” on our own, apart from God. I do not believe it is possible to really change by our own devices, by our own rules, or by our own strength. The Apostle Paul echoes this sentiment, declaring that our feeble attempts have nothing more than “the appearance of wisdom”.
You can make a long list of do’s and don’ts, but when it comes down to it, true change can only come through Jesus. So, if you plan to have any sort of New Years Resolutions this year, I encourage you to make them more about growing closer to God and less about changing yourself. The closer you are to God, the more you become like Jesus. And the more you become like him, you’ll watch as the changes you’ve always desired come naturally!
Lord Jesus, I ask you help me to grow closer to you day by day. Please help me find the healing and growth I need by becoming more like you. I thank you for another year, and ask that in everything I do, I glorify you. Amen.
Read This: Before you make changes in the process of re-discovering the "new you", here's a resource on true spiritual change