Return to Index.

New Year Resolutions
January 1, 2011

The start of the New Year is when many make New Year resolutions. Most resolutions revolve around those things that are physical, such as losing weight, getting out of debt, or saving enough money for a down payment on a house. When it comes to matters of faith, I ponder what resolutions may be meaningful to make. Despite claims to the contrary by the current administration, the United States considers itself a Christian nation. If this is indeed the case, why do so many of our New Year resolutions revolve around that which is physical? If we are indeed a Christian nation shouldn't we see more spiritually-minded resolutions? Part of our problem is that there are some who preach a prosperity gospel. The basic message of this message is that if we do what is right in the sight of God, God will bless us financially. There has been much to do about the Wall Street influence on our recent economic downward spiral. Could it be that Faith Street has had an equal influence in this trend? Imagine an environment created by the prosperity gospel where if you are doing what is right in the sight of God, God will bless you financially. In the public schools, where I am employed, this is called peer pressure. Imagine a peer pressure environment to either succeed financially or be considered to be without the blessings of God because of supposed wrong doing in the eyes of God. For a person who has to look good for the community, what might this person do? Might this person go into debt? Might this person look for any financial situation that may give the appearance of financial prosperity as a sign that they are doing what is right in the eyes of God? Could this be a reason why many can no longer afford the expensive homes that they mortgaged their future against? For those in this situation, what must they be thinking? Here is what I think. Those in this situation have forgotten a basic teaching of Jesus.

Matthew 6:24-34
No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

As Christians, we cannot serve God and money. God is fully aware that we need money to live in today's world, and the way to have money is not to chase after it. We are to chase after the Kingdom of God, and to pursue God's righteousness, and when we do this, God will give us what we need. This doesn't mean that God will give us everything we want, or even some of the things we want. God will though give us what we need. A big mistake by those who follow the prosperity gospel is they will structure their finances to give the appearance of wealth, as in their mind the appearance of wealth gives the appearance of righteousness. Those who do this have a similar mindset to the Pharisees that Jesus encountered, as these men wanted to present the appearance of righteousness to man, rather than be righteous to God.

Luke 18:9-14
And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

As the lesson from the Gospel of Luke provides, those who consider themselves righteous, despise others. Anyone who is a good actor can appear righteous to man. It takes a person of faith to be righteous towards God, and this includes those who are sinners. When we as sinners are honest in our faith towards God, God will be faithful to us.

Hebrews 10:16-17
This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

So as we start the year 2011, and if we choose to make a New Year resolution, we can choose to make spiritually-oriented resolutions. When we choose to first pursue the Kingdom of God and God's righteousness, God will help us with those things that are physical. If making a New Year resolution, consider making the spiritual resolution of pursuing God's righteousness and the Kingdom of God.

All verses are from the King James Version.
This site provided by Tom Laign. To all who may believe differently, I also extend peace and love.
Copyright and Legal Information
Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information