January 1

Arrows of the Almighty

New Year Resolutions

“I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10)

The New Year seems to be the popular time to make new resolutions about making improvements in our lives.  But in making such determinations we need to always remember that all of our self efforts cannot make God’s attitude change toward us in any way.  No, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom. 5:8) for “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

It is eternal truth – Jesus’ love for you does not depend on what you do for Him.  Not at all!  In the eyes of the King, you have value simply because you are.  You don’t have to look nice or perform well.  Your value is inborn.  Period!  In the first book of the Bible it says, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness!” (Gen. 1:28)

Improving yourself should be an all-year-long event, which is, in fact, where many people fail at keeping their goals long-term.  We fail because we somehow think it has to be our efforts that accomplish our improvements.  It is, in fact, in surrendering to the love of God that real improvements are made.  Making new habits overcome old ones needs practice.  Let that practice be in full complete surrender to the source of loving strength, the loving Spirit of Christ. Down in the cellar of your life there lurks yesterday’s sins.  The enemy of your soul reminds you often enough … Now, do yourself a favor and take the nails of that cross of Christ and nail that old door shut.  God refuses to remember!  So should you.

You have been forgiven and that forgiveness never looks backwards but forward … always.  You have probably memorized John 3:16 long ago, now memorize John 3:17, “God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” 

“Lord, I lift up my head and ‘forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.’  In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen!” (Phil. 3:13-14)