Look! I’m doing a new thing;
now it sprouts up; don’t you recognize it?
I’m making a way in the desert,
paths in the wilderness. (Isaiah 43:19)
Happy New Year!
Are you a “resolution” person? Have you begun the new year with a commitment to change for the better, whether it be through behavior (like eat right or exercise) or attitude (such as be more positive, or less judgy)?
How about a few “faith” resolutions for 2024? No, I don’t mean just go to church more or spend more time praying, though I don’t discourage that either. I’m thinking of some scripture-based resolutions.
“You shall have no other gods before me.” (Ex. 20:3)
In 2024, let us resolve to worship the LORD our God only. Sounds easy enough, but in reality, we worship other gods all too often. We worship the idols of money, power, and prestige. We worship things such as houses, cars, guns, alcohol or drugs. We worship pop stars, politicians, sports. And sometimes, too often, we worship ourselves, certain that I and I alone possess the Truth. Let’s commit to putting aside our other gods and putting God first.
“One of them, when he saw that he had been healed, returned and praised God with a loud voice. He fell on his face at Jesus’ feet and thanked him.” (Luke 17:15-16a)
Let us resolve to make 2024 the year of gratitude and thanksgiving. While it’s easy to focus on all that is wrong, all that is broken, all that we don’t have, time and again it has been shown that counting our blessings and being thankful is good for our emotional and physical health. When you start to spiral into self-pity (we all do it!), stop yourself and think of three things you are thankful for. There is little that can brighten a day faster.
“I give you a new commandment, that you love one another.” (John 13:34a)
Simple enough, yet so hard. Let us resolve, in all things, to choose love, to respond in love, to be love.
What do you say? Will you join me in these resolutions?
Worship God alone, be thankful, and love one another.
If we all committed to these things in 2024, I wonder what would our world look like on January 1, 2025?