New Year Resolutions: A Christian Perspective

The New Year is almost here and I’m sure if you’ve decided to make resolutions, you’ve already planned them out. But did you bring God into them? Have you considered God’s plan for you while planning your goals?

Lately, this thought has been coming to mind – what is the biblical perspective on New Year resolutions – and that is what we will be exploring today.

Resolutions themselves aren’t good or bad, like with most things it’s the intent behind them that gives them power and meaning. As Christians, we are keenly aware of the difference between right and wrong and how the smallest things can cross that line. But when it comes to making our New Year resolutions we don’t always consider aligning our resolutions with scripture or considering the impact they will have on our faith.

The good news is that it’s never too late to bring them to God even if you have already started working on them. If your resolutions haven’t been aligning with God’s plan for you He’ll soon bring a stop to it or use it for good in some way.

“We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.”
Romans 8:28

The New Year is a time of change, where we have choices to make and plans to create. A time we prioritise what’s important to us but most of all it is a time of hope. A hope that the coming year will be better than the last or at least be equally as good. A hope that what we’ve been waiting for will come to be.

With that in mind, there are five things to consider – what the Bible says about change, choice, plans, priorities and hope. I’ve gone through the Bible and selected key verses on each one which will help reveal to us the lens we should be considering our resolutions under.

Change

Change is inevitable, it happens every day we are constantly surrounded by change. From the changing weather to what we do in our day. Ecclesiastes puts it simply:

“There is an occasion for everything, and a time for every activity under heaven.”
Ecclesiastes 3:1

When we consider the New Year we often hope that things will change, we hope that our governments will start acting and stop talking. We hope that wars will end, and the economy will improve. And the resolutions we make reveal things we’d like to change too. If we want to lose weight that suggests we want to be healthier or we’re unhappy with our appearance. If we want to start a business that reveals we want to do something we love for a career, or we’re sick of the nine-to-five sucking all our time and draining all our energy.

The truth is that even the things we don’t want to change will, even if we don’t like it. There is a time for everything, and God knows it all. There will be seasons of discomfort and periods of great joy, we have to accept this and learn to live with them when they come. We shouldn’t be constantly looking to change but we can’t stay stuck where we are either.

It can be scary to have things change, it can be lonely too. But that’s where the growth usually happens and if you’re making resolutions that require you to step out of your comfort zone then it might be a feeling you become familiar with. Just don’t let it hold you back if you feel it’s something you really should do. Seek comfort in God for He is always with you.

“Haven’t I commanded you; be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:9

Choice

Things may change or they may not, either way, we have choices to make. Do we make resolutions or do we not? Do we wholeheartedly follow God, or do we choose the world? Do we choose to make an effort, or do we stick to our comfort zones? We may consider all these things and more.

In Proverbs 4:1 we are advised not to abandon the teachings of the wise. Who is wise really? All the knowledge we have on earth has been given to us by God. So when we’re making choices we should go to Him for wise counsel and let Him lead us in the direction we are meant to go.

“Don’t turn to the right or to the left; keep your feet away from evil.”
Proverbs 4:27

When considering your resolutions think about what you would want to do and why you want to do it. Then consider what God wants you to do and why you might be choosing not to do it. It might seem more appealing to do what you want but it doesn’t always mean it’s the best option. For example just because I want to eat my body weight in chocolate over eating an orange doesn’t mean I’m going to do it.

Paul advises us in Philippians:

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves.”
Philippians 2:3

We are bombarded with choices all the time. Compared to twenty years ago our options suddenly seem limitless. With the rise of self-care and movements such as Me Too the focus in society is shifting to individual choices without caring about the opinion of others and in some cases the truth.

Some of these choices may seem tempting but if we aren’t careful they can become idols, and if they only bring temporary satisfaction is it worth it?

Sometimes we make the wrong choice thinking it’s the right one and are filled with overwhelming regret. Listening to the words of Paul in Galatians is a reminder to think before making a choice and to go for the one which either gives peace or aligns with scripture.

“For freedom, Christ set us free. Stand firm then and don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery.”
Galatians 5:1

When we choose the world over what God wants us to we are just allowing ourselves to be held down again by the phantom chains of sin. As Christians, we may be set free from sin but when we do intentionally sin we can find ourselves consumed by guilt that tries to keep us from repenting. That’s why I call them phantom chains because we no longer have them, but we feel like they are.

The choices we face may be tough but they’re not impossible. Christ can give you the strength to make the right choice (Philippians 4:13).

“Don’t be afraid. Even though you have committed evil, don’t turn away from following the Lord. Instead worship the Lord with all your heart.”
1 Samuel 12:20

Plans

“A person’s heart plans his way but the Lord determines his steps.”
Proverbs 16:9

For all the plans we make daily ultimately it is God who is in control, we ought to commit our plans to Him daily and let Him bless or reject them as appropriate.

“For I know the plans I have for you” – this is the Lord’s declaration – “plans for your well-being, not for disaster to give a future and a hope.”
Jeremiah 29:11

When we are making plans to bring our resolutions to life we should take a moment to bring them before God and ask for His guidance on if we are doing the right thing here, if we are doing too little or not enough, and ask for clarity on what we should be doing if He tells us we’re doing something wrong. And when we do this, give our plans to Him we can have peace knowing He is in control and that no matter what the future holds it will happen as He decides it should for His plan.

“Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring – what your life will be! For you like vapour that appears for a little while, then vanishes. Instead, you should say, “if the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”
James 4:14-15

Priorities

What is your priority? Is God your priority? Will all your resolutions have Him in mind or will they push Him aside? It’s something to think about because no matter how important these resolutions are to you, whether they are working towards the purpose God has given you or will make you a better person if you’re not spending time with God because you’re busy trying to achieve all your goals then it is pointless.

“Don’t strive for what you should eat and what you should drink, and don’t be anxious… but seek his kingdom, and all these things will be provided for you.”
Luke 12:29,31

When you put God first He will provide for you but if you don’t you’re on your own and it’s proven that being left on your own to do things usually doesn’t work out, like the fact that most resolutions fail. But with God, you can succeed, if it’s God’s will that is.

“Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.”
Psalms 37:5

Your priorities may be important but they cannot be more important than God or they have become idols. You need to let go and have faith that it will work out as you hope it will. Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Be wholeheartedly faithful.

“Therefore I tell you, everything you pray and ask for – believe that you have received and it will be yours.”
Mark 11:24

Hope

Hope plays a huge role in our lives, without it everything would be pretty depressing. Hope gives us something to look forward to, it fuels the spark of change and gives us motivation to keep going. We find that resolutions give us hope that things will be better in the New Year, and they do motivate us to give it an attempt which we need because becoming complacent is not a good place to be. We were made to grow and evolve to survive.

The fact that resolutions can give a little hope is a good thing but even better is having hope in God. We trust Him to carry us through everything because we know that on our own our best efforts are likely to fall short but with Him, our weaknesses are perfected. There is comfort too in knowing that He is always with us even when we don’t feel His presence.

“For you will not abandon me to Sheol; you will not allow your faithful one to see decay.”
Psalm 16:10

Our God is a God of hope. He loves us so much He wants to see us succeed and do our best, He hates to see us sad and suffering. But He is also just and will not support any wrongdoing in our lives and will discipline us for it just like an earthly father would.

If you don’t know God my hope is you will meet Him and know that hope for yourself. That you will feel the peace and joy that only He can provide. To me, that is more important than achieving any resolution although I do sincerely hope that you achieve yours. Look out in the coming days for more resolution-inspired posts to inspire you in this New Year.

“But I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the end he will stand on the dust.”
Job 19:25