It is almost here! A brand new year is almost here, and this is going to be the year that you have always hoped for. The new diet will last, and you will still be using your gym membership well into February. This is the year that you will read more than ever, journal more than ever, the year you will get out of debt, and the year when you will finally travel more, right?
Well, maybe not.
According to studies done by the University of Scranton in 2014, 45% of us make New Year’s Resolutions each year, yet only 8% of us are successful in achieving our resolutions. Let me state this differently; 92% of us do not achieve the new year’s resolutions that we make each year. This means that for 92% of us, we are looking at unmet and unachieved goals and expectations from last year.
I promise that I am not trying to discourage you! In fact, my hope is that this will be an encouragement to you as you look ahead into the new year.
So, how can this possibly be encouraging? To put it simply; when it comes to resolutions and promises, God is not like you and me.
“Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations” – (Deuteronomy 7:9 ESV)
New Year’s Day is a great opportunity to see the beauty of God’s faithfulness against the backdrop of our flakiness. We who often struggle to keep our resolutions for a year are loved by a God who is faithful for a thousand generations. We who often struggle to keep our promises for a day, serve a God who keeps His Word eternally.
I am not saying that resolutions are a bad thing. In fact, I make several resolutions each year, and I have made several more resolutions this year. My hope is that we make (and keep) our resolutions this year, but I have a challenge for you to add something to your list of resolutions as you plan for the upcoming year:
As you make your resolutions and as you make your new year’s plans, take a moment to read and remember some of the promises that God has made to you and about you, and write one or two down along with your resolutions and plans.
Undoubtably this will seem overly-simplistic, but it is profoundly beautiful when we understand that God literally meant what He has said, and that He is faithful to each and every one of his promises.
Let me give you an example. For me, the promise that I have written along with my resolutions is this:
Jesus has promised to give me rest when I am weighed down and exhausted. (Matthew 11:28-29)
I encourage you to include a promise with your resolutions this year. I encourage you to remember that even if your personal resolutions remain unmet and unachieved by this time next year, God will keep His word to you. And, when you write it down, it will give you the opportunity to see and to celebrate God’s faithfulness next year.
Happy New Year!