With New Year’s Eve being tomorrow and the end of the holiday and weekend, we will return on Monday, January 5.
Yesterday, I touched on the celebration of the New Year and looked forward to what was to come. If you missed it, you can see it at https://gleaningsfromtheword.com/?p=3837
It got me thinking about New Year’s resolutions. People have been making them for about 4000 years. The ancient Babylonians made the earliest known resolutions during a festival called Akitu, held in March (their new year). They resolved to repay their debts and return borrowed items in hopes of gaining the gods’ favor.
By the fourth century AD, Christians were making resolutions that were more spiritual and reflective. Christians used the new year for self-examination, repentance, and renewal. Watch Night services encouraged believers to reflect on past mistakes and future improvement.
Even today, many people make resolutions to change their behavior in the coming year. We’re not very good at keeping those resolutions, spiritual or otherwise. Statistics show that 80% of resolutions don’t last until the end of the first month, and only about 8% survive the year.
We want to make changes solely out of sheer willpower. Yet, our flesh and wills are weak.
What if we resolve to be more Christ like? How can we do it?
We redevote ourselves to Him.
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:1-2
We can resolve to pray more, love more, read the Bible more, fast, give more, serve, or do whatever we think will make us more like Jesus. The way will look different for all of us, although there will be common elements.
It’s still going to be a day-by-day, moment-by-moment, and decision-by-decision process to do that. We’re going to fail many times. We have to keep working at it.
One source puts it this way, “Becoming more Christ like is the desire of every believer, and it is encouraging to know that God has the same desire for us. In fact, the Bible says that God “predestined [believers] to be conformed to the likeness of his Son” (Romans 8:29). Making us Christlike is God’s work, and He will see it through to the end (Philippians 1:6).”
It is an impossible task on our own, but with the Holy Spirit, it will happen.
It’s not something that will change overnight; the journey of sanctification (being made holy) is lifelong. We need to stay the course, repenting and turning back when we fall down.
His goal is to make us more like Jesus. Let’s allow Him to work in us so that the task becomes easier.
Celebrate the little victories. Turn back from the failures and trust.
God will have His way. The changes may be incremental, but the results over time will be huge. We can say, “I’m not yet where I want to be, but by His grace I’m not where I used to be.”
May God richly bless you and may you resemble Jesus more each passing day. Happy New Year, my friends. May you become more Christ like.
Praise His name.
Be blessed,
Kevin
Gleanings From The Word – Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life.
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All contents, “Gleanings From The Word” and “Experience an Extraordinary God in Ordinary Life,” are © 2001, 2025 K.F. “Kevin” Corbin, Gleanings From The Word.
Unless otherwise noted, “Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
From Gleanings From The Word (Kevin Corbin, 2001– ), a Scripture-based devotional work.
