Aligning New Year's Resolutions with Following Jesus into 2025 / S3E16

What if your New Year's resolutions could bring you closer to God rather than just improve your daily routine? Let’s unravel the potential of resolutions to transform not only our habits but our spiritual journeys. This episode is a heartfelt exploration into aligning our goals with God's will, drawing inspiration from a 19th-century Christian martyr whose story birthed the hymn "I Have Decided to Follow Jesus." As I prepare for my own changes—like moving to another state to be with family—I reflect on how these commitments are more than promises to ourselves; they are pledges to our faith.

With the dawn of 2025 on the horizon, we delve into the essence of maintaining a resolution centered on following Jesus. Discover the profound impact of surrounding yourself with a community of faith-driven individuals who uplift and encourage your spiritual path. Together, we’ll discuss the blueprint for creating resolutions that are not only achievable but also deeply rooted in spiritual growth. As the year unfolds, take this journey with us and embrace a new year filled with sincere commitments to your faith, guided by the strength and wisdom of God's love.

Chapters

• 0:00 New Year's Resolutions for Christians
• 9:05 Following Jesus in the New Year

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:12

Well, today is the final podcast for 2024. We're going into 2025 with lots of changes going on. Some of us won't make any changes this year. Some of us will make big changes. Me, I'm going to be moving to another state, live with my son. I'm looking forward to that. Other of us will just keep on going the way we're going.

Speaker 1: 0:34

But this is the time of year that people make resolutions, your New Year's resolutions. Those resolutions can be about losing weight or eating better, spend more time with your family, be better managers of your money. The most common New Year's resolution is to lose weight, and that's a good goal to set, but I think it's kind of funny that 1 Timothy 4.8 instructs us to keep exercise in perspective. Isn't that funny? Which is more important? Being attractive, physically attractive, losing weight, attractive, physically attractive, losing weight. People aren't losing weight or vowing to lose weight because they want things that will make them a better Christian. But that's what we're going to talk about today. As Christians, what kind of New Year's resolutions should we make? I'm going to start out with a couple of scriptures that might tell you right off the bat what we should do. 2 Corinthians 5 17 says therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. All things have passed away. Behold, all things become new. And Isaiah 40, 31 says but those who wait upon Year's resolutions, be as Christians, as Christians.

Speaker 1: 2:42

Well, I'm going to tell you a story about something that happened over 150 years ago. There was a great revival in Wales and a lot of missionaries from England and German came, and they came to India to spread the gospel, but they weren't welcome there. But one Welsh missionary succeeded in converting a man and his wife and two children. His faith proved to be contagious among the villagers and the chief of the village was angered, so he called the family and tried to get them to renounce their faith publicly or face execution. Now this man was called Noxon and, and he was converted to Christianity in the middle of the 19th century. He recited verses from the 12th chapter of the Gospel of John as he and his family were killed. But not only that. The Holy Spirit moved on the man before he was killed and he sang these words I have decided to follow Jesus. I have decided to follow Jesus. I have decided to follow Jesus. No turning back, no turning back. In 1957, the assembly songbook was set up and an American hymn editor by the name of William Jensen Reynolds composed that song. I have Decided to Follow Jesus as a Christian hymn and it became a regular feature of the Billy Graham's evangelistic meetings. I have decided to follow Jesus. That should be our New Year's resolution to follow Jesus. But following Jesus is not just something that we say, but it is a lifelong commitment to a journey with him. It means surrendering yourselves to him, to accepting his sacrifice on the cross.

Speaker 1: 5:15

The scripture tells us to come to Jesus. Matthew 11, 28 through 30 say come to me, all you who are in labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Believe in Jesus. John 1, 12 through 13 says, but as many as receive him. To them he gave the right to become the children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God, and to follow him. Matthew 4.19 says. Then he said to them follow me and I will make you fishers of men.

Speaker 1: 6:12

You know many, many people make New Year's resolutions and they kind of fizzle out. Most people don't keep them throughout the whole year. And it's the same as when you make New Year's resolutions to read the Bible every day, to end church more regularly, and those resolutions fail just like the others. Because there's no power in a New Year's resolution. Resolving to stop something or to start something unless you have the proper motivation for doing it has no power. There's no value in it. For example, do you want to read the Bible every day? Is it to honor God and grow spiritually, or is it because you just heard that was something good to do? Why do you want to lose weight? Is it to honor God with your body or is it for vanity? Is it for yourself?

Speaker 1: 7:12

God must be the center of your New Year's resolution. For it to have any chance of success, it depends on your commitment to the will of God. You worry that you're not going to be able to follow through with a Christian resolution. Remember Philippians 4.13 tells us I can do all things through him who strengthens me, and John 15.5 says I am the vine, you are the branches, if a man remains in me and I in him. God has to be the center of your New Year's resolution. He has to be the center of the change in your life. And how do you do that? How do you make God the center? And how do you do that? How do you make God the center? Well, if you want God to be the center of your life, then you should pray for wisdom. James 1.5 says If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all liberally, without reproach, and it will be given to him. You will receive wisdom, and with wisdom you have the knowledge to be successful and to fulfill your commitment to do God's will. Psalms 37, 5 through 6 says Commit your way to the Lord, trust in him, and he will do this. He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. God honors your commitment. God holds you to it too. You can do all things through him, who strengthens you.

Speaker 1: 9:05

It's sad to think that someone makes a New Year's resolution to follow Jesus, to be closer to Jesus, and lets it fall by the wayside. One of the things with the New Year's resolution to follow God is to find other people with the same New Year's resolution. Find someone with the same commitment that you have to following Jesus in the New Year. Work with them, talk to them, be there for each other. But what you have to do is follow Him, believe in Him. Don't make new year's resolutions without God in them, without God's will in them. I hope you all have a wonderful new year and I hope that you make that commitment to follow Jesus. Happy new year.