The holiday season is crazy. Beginning with Thanksgiving, we seem to eat our way through parties, gatherings, and presents to get to January 1st. At that point, we’ve gained a few pounds and need to get back to work.
The new year becomes a natural time to look back on the previous twelve months and consider what’s coming up. It can be a time of hope. Change is possible, perhaps. It feels like a new start.
Maybe we need to lose those pounds we gained. Perhaps we need to rededicate ourselves to work or family or church. We might start a reading plan to get through the Bible in one year.
Yet despite the hope and momentum of a new start, statistics say that around 80 percent of people give up on their resolutions by February. Only nine percent get to the end of the year with their resolutions accomplished. Despite these numbers, a host of people in our culture participate in this tradition.
As Christians, we are a part of a different culture, a heavenly Kingdom, so should we even make New Year’s Resolutions?
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The earliest New Year celebrations go back to ancient Mesopotamia around 2,000 BC, when the Babylonians observed it during the spring equinox. Their Akitu festival lasted 11 days and honored the rebirth of the natural world. In the same way, the ancient Romans also celebrated the New Year in the spring but later changed it to January 1 under Julius Caesar. He developed and normalized the Julian calendar, naming the first month after Janus, the Roman god of beginnings. Romans observed January 1 with feasting and sacrifices to the gods.
Since the Jewish, or the Christian, religion had no equivalent celebration of the New Year as we know it, the Roman and pagan holiday faded in medieval European society. Christians emphasized the holidays of Christmas and Easter. The Church replaced or dismissed many non-Christian holidays, and January 1 wasn’t adopted. However, when the European countries started using the Gregorian calendar in the 1500s under Pope Gregory XIII, the first of January started gaining popularity again. People started celebrating the New Year again.
European settlers in America brought their customs with them. Early Puritans encouraged prayerful reflection at the New Year. Europeans like the Dutch and Germans introduced more festivals and parties. Over time, the New Year customs developed into a more unique American tradition. By the 20th century, New Year’s became a large, public celebration. It now includes media, a big ball drop in Times Square, fireworks, and of course, resolutions.
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Along with the parties and blitz, a new tradition developed—the New Year’s resolution. It started as a way for people to reflect on their lives and set goals for the next year. While America has their own tradition, it also has connections to ancient cultures.
For the New Year, ancient Babylonians promised to return borrowed items or repay their debts, symbolizing trying to start a new season free and clear. The Romans under Julius Caesar also started setting goals for the new year, as January 1 was a perfect time to reflect on the past and look forward to the future. The Romans would even make promises to the god Janus, hoping to earn his favor.
Of course, as Christianity grew and gained influence, this changed. Instead of pledging to pagan gods, Christians would observe the feast of the Circumcision of Christ on January 1 and took religious vows to God to live better in the next year. Later, John Wesley (who founded Methodism) introduced the Covenant Renewal Service where people reflected on their lives and committed to greater faith with resolutions.
Into the 20th century, a more secular and media-driven society adapted the New Year’s resolution to be about personal self-improvement. Psychology, capitalism, and self-help movements influenced the resolutions to focus on eating healthy, losing weight, getting a better job, or other personal growth goals. Today, along with the former, people make resolutions to quit smoking, get better education, or improve mental health. As a cliché, gym memberships explode the first month of January.
Despite good intentions, most resolutions fail due to unrealistic goals or the general difficulty of consistent change. At the same time, the practice of making New Year’s resolutions continues to thrive. So the question persists: should Christians participate in making resolutions?
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While the practice of New Year’s resolutions isn’t directly mentioned in Scripture, some themes can align with the principle.
The Bible encourages self-reflection as we strive for spiritual growth. “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?” We often assume our spiritual walk is sufficient, or perhaps we avoid deep reflection on these matters, afraid of what we might find. Or we can feel too busy or trapped to think about it. Scripture tells us to regularly take an honest and humble account of ourselves.
We have a gift, however. We can participate in self-examination with the insight of the Spirit who knows all things and leads us into all truth. We must invite God into this conversation to reveal areas for improvements or habits we need to break. As Psalm 139:23-24 says, “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
Scripture encourages growth. While we are saved upon repentance, we begin a discipleship process with Jesus to become more like him in our character and actions, a life-long process. “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14) Paul healed people and planted churches among the Gentiles, but even he realized he still needed to grow and press forward, leaving behind past mistakes and achievements.
Since the New Year’s resolution arises from a desire for change, the Bible addresses the need for our transformation. Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Our transformation, however, doesn’t come from a simple resolution but an ongoing renewing of our whole thinking, trusting more on the Spirit and less on ourselves, which becomes the danger of resolutions.
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Scripture repeatedly stresses how human strength can’t bring lasting change. Only God has the ability and wisdom to help us truly change. As Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Resolutions apart from God become self-centered, and even if we attain some modicum of success, we’ve only learned to trust ourselves, which will lead to more problems. Our righteousness is but filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6).
Another danger includes waiting until a specific date. God doesn’t work by anyone’s calendar, and if our self-reflection is regular and constant as it should be, then we should obey and change at the point of revelation. We’re not promised another day other than the one we’re in. “Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow.” (James 4:13-15) Time is uncertain and fleeting. We should act in step with the Spirit in the moment. The time of God’s favor is today (2 Corinthians 6:2).
The New Testament particularly downplays traditions or religious observances to learn anything or change. We shouldn’t place our faith in a time or a holiday for change but instead trust the Spirit. He’s the core of our lives. “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God” (Romans 8:14). Our goals and efforts should be in line with the Holy Spirit and the Scripture, not social traditions (Mark 7:8) or timeframes.
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Participating in a New Year’s resolution isn’t a sin. We must simply remember our freedom and power come from being in Christ and the Spirit within us, lest we begin relying upon ourselves or misplace our priorities and focus. Since much of our culture does reset in the new year, it can be a valuable time to self-reflect and recommit ourselves to what God has called us to be and do. Whether spiritual disciplines or personal goals, these things have worth. Our focus shouldn’t be perfection, as in no mistakes or flaws, but on becoming more like Christ in our character, attitude, and relationships with others.
The freedom to start anew also has great value. The New Testament gives us Good News, that God provides through Christ the ability to make a radical change: death to life, darkness to light, sin to righteousness, hate to love. While the outward self and world “perishes,” we are renewed inwardly every day (2 Corinthians 4:16). God is all about new beginnings, whether daily, weekly, monthly, or annually. “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22-23). God’s grace allows us to start over when we fall short, in big and small ways.
God cares about every part of our lives. Yes, that begins with our spiritual walk and intimate relationship with him. We seek first the Kingdom and find he provides all we need (Matthew 6:33). God cares about our character, our actions, our families, and more. Kingdom transformation infuses every part of our lives. If we will make resolutions with God, he can and will guide us to the right commitments. He will also filter out things that don’t matter and aren’t worth our time.
Proverbs 16:3 says, “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.” Let’s commit all we do to the faithful One, the Father who loves us. And he will lead us, his children, in love by the Spirit for our good and the good of others. “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.” In this, our lives will reflect God and glorify him.
And if we fail, as we do, we rest in God’s grace rather than the world’s condemnation. “Therefore, there is now no condemnation who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). When we stumble on the way, we can trust his forgiveness and power to pick ourselves up and start over again. And we don’t need to wait until the New Year to do so.
Our worth is complete in Christ already. We don’t need to strive to earn our identity or value. From this truth, we can approach New Year’s resolutions with the Spirit as an opportunity for growth and continued Kingdom purpose.
Peace.
Further Reading
How Christians Can Approach New Year's Resolutions
Why New Year's Resolutions Don't Work
How Should Christians Approach the New Year
A Biblical Guide to Your New Year's Resolutions
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