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Tuesday, December 30, 2014

New Year's Resolutions

Happy New Year! (early)


During the New Year season, it is a tradition of many to reflect on the past year, consider successes and failures and then renew determinations for the New Year. If you are one of those that uses this time of year to make resolutions, I have an encouragement for you... this year make your resolutions Christ-Centered! Whatever the area of your life that you want to do better in, frame it around Jesus! Make Him the reason and the results will surely be better! This doesn't mean that you will not struggle, but what it does mean is that you are not in the struggle alone and the purpose is higher than self.
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)

Paul tells us that we are to present our bodies as living sacrifices. He is saying that what we do, how we live, what we spend our time on and what we do with our bodies is to be an ongoing sacrifice offered to God. Additionally, he calls on us to live holy lives, set apart for His service and in doing this, our sacrificial lives are found to be "acceptable" to Him. he calls this our "spiritual worship". When our lives of aligned with His will, when we make Him the purpose in what we do... we are worshipping Him!

Then Paul answers our question, "how do I live such a sacrificial life that is acceptable to Him?". Transformation! Renewal! New resolutions! Change! The word that is translated "transformed" is the word from which we get "metamorhposis". The caterpillar goes in, the butterfly comes out! This is a total transformation... it is not a caterpillar with wings! How does this kind of change take place in our lives? Mind renewal! How do we renew our minds? Our old minds were formed by what we put into them. Garbage in, garbage out! If we begin to feed our minds good stuff... "set your minds on things above" (Col 3:2), then mind renewal occurs. 


Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (Phil 4:8)

So, let's keep it simple this New Year! If we truly want change in our lives, then change what we feed our minds. When we see our bodies as instruments of worship, then what we do and how we live will change also. As the New Year begins, spend time thinking about excellent things! Think about commendable things! Think about lovely things! Think about pure things! When we do this, our goals change. What we want changes!


Instead of "I will to lose weight so I will look better", I decide "I will to lose weight so I can serve Him and others better". Instead of "I will exercise each day so I can play basketball better", I decide "I will exercise each day so I can help others." Instead of "I will live by a budget so I can have more money for things I want", I decide "I will live by a budget so I can have more money to help meet the needs of others". Our entire perspective changes when our minds are renewed!


So, make your resolutions, but make them with Him in mind. Pray, study and talk with other Christians and begin again. God is surely the God of second chances (and third, and forth). Renew your mind and renew your life! Think about it.