Wednesday, December 30, 2015

New Year's Resolutions, Is It A Christian Thing To Do?



New Year's Resolutions, Is It A Christian Thing To Do?

Welcome back reader, and if you are new, welcome and I hope this post or any of the materials shared on this website will be of interest to you and be a blessing to you today, or maybe tomorrow, or maybe you can share it with a friend or talk to someone you know and share your thoughts with them or with us. Thanks for reading and let's get started :)
In my humble opinion, there's nothing wrong with making New Year's Resolutions as a Christian child of the Almighty God. I haven't seen it or read it in the Bible that it's wrong to do this practice.

However, Christian friend, please also be mindful or realize that God may or may not change those plans. It says in the Bible, in the book of Proverbs 16:9 it says: A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps. Deviseth is defined in the Strong's Concordance as:to think, plan, esteem, calculate, invent, make a judgment, imagine, count. Isn't that interesting? :)

Below are a few questions you can ask yourself about the resolutions you make if you decide to make some for yourself this coming New Year 2016. I've asked myself these questions and am offering some insight for you also. Hope you will be blessed by it. :)

1) What is my motivation?

The Bible says in 1 Samuel 16:7:

But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.

a) Isn't it interesting that the Lord knows our motivations and intentions? The Word of the Bible says that the Lord sees what no man sees, we can't hide from Him my friend. As man, we tend to look at the outward appearance but the Lord looks at the heart or inside of others. Therefore, it is humbling to know we should follow the Lord's example and also examine our own hearts and do/say what is right and beautiful in His eyes and not be wicked or take advantage of others. Let us have a pure heart and have no bad motivations towards our fellow mankind, Amen?

b) In Timothy 4:18 it reads:
For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.

In other words, godliness is more profitable for us unto all things and that we should not focus too much heavily onto body exercises because there is much of a promise of life that is now and in the future. It is written in the Bible, and therefore I will hold onto this.

2) Am I Being Realistic?
Although many of us have many good intentions on trying to achieve our goals at the beginning of the year, many a times, we end up quitting when it is getting hard to reach the goal and sometimes we might even be giving us too much of a high expectation for ourselves. I know I've done this a few times, and I think the key to achieving goals is by starting off with small goals, work at them until they are achieved. Then as time goes on, one may give themselves another goal time with a bit more of a challenge and continue working on improving from the last goal achieved.

The goal is to achieve something that is doable and not to push yourself until you make yourself depressed for not reaching the goal. Too many times as Christians we sometimes forget that we may have goals in mind, but the Lord has bigger plans for us and He has our life and we should let Him direct our path and steps.

3) Is my New Year's resolution God-honoring or self-honoring?

This might be to some a silly question to ask yourself, but I think it's very important to ask yourself this question and to honestly pray about the resolution you have set for yourself. You and I were bought with a price, and therefore do you agree that we should talk to our Lord who knows us better than we do and we should talk to Him and ask Him about the resolution? I agree it should be done.

In the Bible, the book of James 1:5 says?

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
Simply put, we are commanded to ask God for wisdom and that He gives it to all men freely. So, isn't it reassuring to know that our Lord knows what is best for us and we should not trust into what we want because it might be self-honoring and not God-honoring? Selah my brothers and sisters.
Lastly, this is the last question of this post. I hope you've read through all of this post and it has been a blessing to you and that you learned something new.

4) Am I willing to let God help me?

Philippians 4:13

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Such a simple verse but so many of us don't trust and obey the Lord with it, it is to take a moment to read that verse and notice that it has the word all in it which means entirely and completely. So again let's read the verse again and note that Christ gives us the strength to do all things through Him. Friend, we can't do all things by ourselves because we are human, we are not perfect and we have a sinful nature, so why don't we trust Him with our resolutions or even just day to day activities and our lives to our Creator who loves us and takes care of us? I know that it would be a blessing to you, if you would trust and just let Him lead you. I think there is nothing wrong with letting God help me with my Godly resolutions and He give me the strength to them.

Lastly, I am sharing 2 popular verses that so many us know but don't apply in our lives. Please read it over, look up the words that stick out to you as you read in the Strong's concordance, and may all your endeavors be favorable and honorable to Jesus, our Lord and Savior. :) Thanks for reading!

Psalms 37:4-5
Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

I hope this blog has been a blessing to you and that you will apply the principles shared above. This article would not have been made possible without the Love of Jesus, the Word in the Holy Bible and the internet article online titled Should Christians Make New Year's Resolutions,? Please find the information to that link in the fine print below this blog, :)

This blog has been inspired by the web article entitled: Should Christians Make New Year's Resolutions and can be found on the internet. The site address is: http://www.412teens.org/qna/should-Christians-make-new-years-resolutions.php.


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