Most people, it seems, like to use the end of the calendar year to take an inventory of their lives. And if that honest appraisal results in new positive patterns and priorities, then that can certainly be a good thing. But since I have always been a bit inquisitive, I decided to do a little digging on the origin and effectiveness of what we call “New Year’s Resolutions”, and I wasn’t all that surprised to find that the practice not only has pagan roots, but the success rate is marginal, at best.
Historicity
According to the History Channel, it was the ancient Babylonians who were the first people to make New Year’s resolutions, some 4,000 years ago. They were also purportedly the first to hold festivities in celebration of the new year. Their celebration included a massive 12-day religious festival known as Akitu, where the Babylonians would either crown a new king or they would reaffirm their loyalty to the sitting king. As part of the proceedings, they would also make vows to the gods that they would pay their debts and return any objects they had borrowed. These vows or promises could be considered the forerunners of our New Year’s resolutions. The belief was, if the Babylonians faithfully kept their vows, the pagan gods would bestow favor upon them in the coming year, but if they failed to keep their vows, they would face the gods’ fury.
As is often the case, the Christian world would eventually adopted a similar practice, which included reflecting on one’s past mistakes and resolving to do better in the new year. Interestingly, somewhere around 1740, the English clergyman John Wesley, who was the founder of Methodism, created what he called the Covenant Renewal Service, which was usually held on New Year’s Eve. These special services later became known as “watch night” services, and included readings from the Scriptures, hymn singing, and an opportunity to publicly share one’s new year resolutions.
Despite the tradition’s religious roots, New Year’s resolutions today are a mostly secular practice. Instead of making vows to the gods, most people make resolutions that focus primarily on self-improvement. According to recent research, while as many as 45 percent of Americans say they usually make New Year’s resolutions, only 8 percent are successful in achieving their goals. But that dismal record probably won’t stop people from making resolutions anytime soon—after all, we’ve had about 4,000 years of practice (The History of New Year’s Resolutions by Sarah Pruitt, updated December 19, 2023).
So, after learning all this, the wheels began to turn in my head and I thought rather than encouraging folks to make New Year’s resolutions (which are not bad in and of themselves), perhaps a better idea would be to focus on New Year’s solutions. And there are four that immediately came to my mind.
Solution #1: The gospel is powerful. We should rehearse it every day.
The only solution for sinful man’s rebellion against holy God is embracing the gospel of Jesus Christ (Romans 1:16-17). Apart from the saving grace of God, man is eternally doomed (Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9). While “There is a way which seems right to a person, its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12). The only solution is Jesus (John 14:6). That’s it. People need Jesus. So as His ambassadors, we are literally to beg people to be reconciled to God by turning to Jesus Christ in repentance and faith (2 Corinthians 5:20-21). And if they do that, He promises to save them from the due penalty of their sin and grant them eternal life (John 3:16, 36).
Solution #2: The Bible is sufficient. We should read it every day.
Something happened. And it wasn’t good. What was once an almost universally accepted truth that the Bible is fully sufficient for our life and living, has somehow become a controversial subject. When we say that the Bible is sufficient, we mean that within its Holy Spirit inspired pages, God has given us “everything we need for life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3). In other words, God has graciously provided us with everything that we need to know about how to live our lives for Him. So, if that’s true (and it is) then why are so many supposed Christians looking for the solutions to life’s issues in other places?
Folks, the solutions that we need are found in the powerful, perfectly adequate Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12). Full stop.
Solution #3: Love is commanded. We should practice it every day.
When Jesus was asked what it is the greatest commandment, He unequivocally answered, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:36-40).
Scripture tells us that the key indicator that a person is a disciple of Jesus is if they practice love. Because it is the practice of love that is the visible demonstration of the manifested love of God in us (John 13:34-35). The love of God should so deeply permeate our souls that we can (and should) even love our enemies (Matthew 5:43).
Solution #4: The Church is vital. We should engage with it every day.
Upon conversion, the Holy Spirit baptizes believers into the universal body of Christ (I Corinthians 12:13). But in God’s design, those who make up the universal church are to unite together with other believers in their local communities under spiritually qualified authority and accountability. And this is referred to as the “local church.”
All the commands in the epistles related to the church are to be lived out in a local context. It is in and through the local church that believers in Christ are to be edified and encouraged in their faith. It is in and through the local church that believers are to practice the ordinances of water baptism and the Lord’s supper and use their spiritual gifts while practicing the one anothers of the New Testament. It is in and through the local church that the gospel is to be propagated, and the One true living God is to be worshipped.
The local church was never intended to be an event. In other words, we don’t go to church. We are the church. Likewise, the local church is not intended to be just a spoke in the wheel of our lives, it is intended to be the hub.
New Year’s solutions. I like that. Let’s anchor there. And the success rate of our lives will be immense!
(GraceLife Gazette, January 2024)