Some folks do, and some don’t, make New Year’s resolutions. And some make the same ones every year. That’s why they’re called resolutions: re-solutions. It’s an attempt to find solutions for the same issues year after year.
There’s
nothing wrong with persevering each year for problems that need solutions. It’s
much better than giving up and not trying at all. Perhaps this is the year that
some items can be resolved, either completely or even partially.
Success is in the continued battle. The fight itself is an
indication of forward progress. To not try is to give up and say, “There’s
nothing I can do to improve.” When in reality we can improve in many ways and resolutions
help us, even if incrementally. Perhaps it’s better
to concentrate on what we are instead of what we do.
This writer
confesses that he is not an expert on resolutions, or solutions. So let’s see
what Google AI has to say about it. Looks like there’s nothing to it – it’s
simple, right?
“New Year's resolutions are personal commitments to
self-improvement at the start of a new year, focusing on positive changes like
health (exercise, healthy eating), personal growth (learning skills, reading
more), finances (saving money), or relationships (spending time with family). To make them stick, experts suggest being specific,
realistic, starting small, and focusing on direction and experiences rather
than fixed, overwhelming outcomes, allowing for flexibility and adaptation when
facing setbacks.”
Perhaps is best to seek God’s help for our resolutions,
according to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association:
“Did you ever ask yourself why you found it so hard to keep the
resolutions you used to make? One reason may have been that they weren’t
realistic, or you had no clear plan for reaching them. Many New Year’s
resolutions, I’m afraid, are little more than a “wish list”–a series of things
we’d like to change about our lives, but little more. They also may be very
self-centered, with little thought about whether or not they are God’s will.”
“Another reason, however, why we fail to keep our resolutions is
because we seek to reach them in our own strength instead of with God’s help.
But we are spiritually and morally weak, and we will never be the people God
wants us to be unless we turn to Him for the help we need. The psalmist wrote,
“My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:2).”
In summary, the best resolutions are found in I Timothy 6:11:
“pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness”
Pursuing these resolutions provide some of the many solutions that are needed.
COPYRIGHT
2026 BY CARL E GUSTAFSON
