Pastor Rich Lammay
With another Christmas passing, it’s time to consider the new year ahead.
Each new year becomes a good time to reflect on the past and con-sider the future. For many, the new year brings resolutions, but far too often, resolutions are empty promises that are not kept. Someone once said, “The average New Year’s resolution only lasts about three weeks.”
The Bible says very little about resolutions but provides several ex-amples of resolutions worth keeping. Let’s examine four Biblical resolutions.
1. RESOLVED TO PRAY.
“… Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the LORD, and he pro-claimed a fast for all Judah.” (2 Chronicles 20:3 NIV)
When vast armies surrounded Judah, King Jehoshaphat resolved himself to prayer, and God miraculously delivered. The Bible is full of promises for those who trusted God, and when they prayed, the Lord answered their prayers. What a great lesson for us. When our problems are big or small, what should we do? Be resolved to pray.
2. RESOLVED TO BITE MY TONGUE
“…I have resolved that my mouth will not sin.” (Psalm 17:3 NIV)
That is a prayer of King David, who was desperate to hear from God. But anything spoken about his enemies is spoken only to God, not to a neighbor or co-worker. In other words, David was resolved to bite his tongue. Another practical resolution for the new year is not to gossip or slander.
3. RESOLVED NOT TO DEFILE ONESELF
“Daniel resolved not to defile himself…” (Daniel 1:8 NIV)
Daniel was taken to Babylon as a young man, where the king tried to raise loyal servants. The king ordered that Daniel be fed only food from the royal tables. Those foods had been offered to the gods of Babylon, and Daniel resolved not to let them be part of his life.
That is a good resolve for today, not to let the things of this world de-file you. To defile means to pollute; today, many things pollute the minds and lives of Christians. A resolve worth keeping is to keep yourself from the pollution of this world. (James 1:27)
4. RESOLVED IN THE GOSPEL
“For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Je-sus Christ and him crucified.” (1 Corinthians 2:1 NIV)
The Gospel is about Jesus Christ and his crucifixion, and it declares the power of God. It is about what God has done and how he sent his son, who died on the cross for sin. Eternal life is God’s gift for those who believe in Jesus Christ. What hope and joy, we can have as we are resolved to know Jesus Christ and him crucified for us.
As we begin a new year, have you made some resolutions? Maybe you want to lose a few pounds or spend more time with family. While those are good things, as we have seen from scripture, some resolutions mean more and are definitely worth keeping.
We can keep them when we trust in Christ and rely on the power of the Holy Spirit. The church is called “the light of the world.” My prayer for the new year is that I will shine bright for Jesus in 2025. I hope every Christian would have that same resolve.
Pastor Rich Lammay of High Sierra Fellowship is a member of the Carson Valley Ministers’ Association.
