A
new year is here again and a warm congratulations to all. Transiting into a new
year means a lot to many people. One of such is looking inward to dig out all
the habits they consider bad with a view to doing away with them and effect a
character and lifestyle change in anticipation of the New Year. This is because
they want a new beginning and a fresh start. That is when New Year’s
resolutions come into focus.
New
Year’s resolutions, which have become a platitude in this modern day, could be
traced to the medieval era. Resolutions come with a very strong decision by
those making the commitments not to revert to the old ways of doing things.
Resolutions made by people always come with a strong will laced with the notion
of translating into a better character, hence, they vow to stay glued to them.
It
is a well-known open secret that it does not take long before the new
resolutions begin to wear out and dissolve into a very thin air. People find it
extremely hard to stick to their newly found lifestyle, not even their
willpower could find the desirable expression.
Several
reasons have been attributed to the failure and collapse of resolutions: busy
schedules, procrastination, making unrealistic resolutions and all whatnot.
Experts have done intense research and have come out with diverse panacea, but
all to no avail.
The
questions that come up is why do people who are always resolute about their
resolutions often end up falling short? What is the reason behind this strong
commitments evaporating easily like a volatile substance? The reason is within
reach: People believe in their willpower rather than God’s power!
Willpower
without God’s power leads to emptiness. Willpower only functions for a short
period of time because its foundation is derived from the human flesh that is
not recreated.
“When
there is a will, there is a way” so goes the popular maxim. There may be a
temporary way out, but the way out is a disaster waiting to happen. It is when
a will is rooted in the power of God, that there will be a way out
A
person with willpower believes so much in what is carnal self can do and he is
determined to make a success out of it. Self-determination will only make such
person grounded in himself (flesh) rather than in God’s ability. It may turn
out to work for a while, but it is a matter of time before it fails.
Self-determination that does not align with God’s ability always end up in
disappointment.
When
willpower takes a man to the end of himself (his ability), that is when he
erroneously quote Matthew 26:41 “The spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is
weak”. How can a weak flesh without the sprit of God expect a miracle to
happen?
For
a resolution to be resolute and find a true lasting meaningful expression,
there is need for God’s strength and ability. We cannot do anything without
Him. We amount to nothing if we fail to acknowledge His ability.
An
unregenerated spirit, a spirit that is still corrupt with sin, can only do
things in his ability and not that of God, making it difficult for him to stick
to any resolution he makes.
A
person that is born again has received the strength and the abilities of God.
He has a regenerated spirit. This is because at conversion, he has received a
new spirit, (2 Corinthians 5:17)
a spirit that enables him do all things (Philippians 4:13). This spirit will always make him walk and stick to
any physical or spiritual resolutions he has made (Philippians 2:13) and all he needs to do is to constantly renew his
mind with the word of God.
No
matter what your resolutions are this year and beyond, whether they look
achievable or not, the only guarantee and assurance that you will adhere to
your resolutions is by inviting Jesus Christ into your life. Without Him, we
are nothing in this world. His entrance into your life will beautify you and
you will never regret your decision. Give Him a chance today, and i assure you
your life will never remain the same.