Do You Want to Make a Resolution that Matters?

In starting this New Year I keep coming back to the question: “What is the most important thing for me to work on?” If I can only accomplish one thing this year what should it be? The answer is important because it is very easy to work at many things and not only achieve none of them but in the process realize none of them were really that important!

Since we are Christians who are facing a New Year the question should be: “What is the most important thing God wants me to do this year?” Fortunately, God has given you and me the answer. One time Jesus was asked: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law? Jesus replied: 'love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment.” {Matthew 22:36 – 38} Jesus was quoting a sentence from Deuteronomy 6:5; God’s answer was there all along. As Christians reflected on Jesus’ answer they have grasped the wisdom of this answer: If you keep this commandment you will be keeping all the others. To move it to our situation this week, if you and I live this out we will be doing everything else God wants us to do. This is truly the most important thing for me and you to work on this year!

Finding this answer is one thing, doing it is quite another. The problem with this or any resolution is in following through and achieving it. Fortunately, with this answer as impossible as it may seem, we have powerful help from the indwelling Holy Spirit. This command is above our ability, but it is not above his. We can always rely on God to do this in and through us. There are things we can do to enable us to continually improve in keeping this most important command.

First: there are decisions to be made: .Each of us must make the decision to desire to love God with all your being As God puts it: “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” {Deuteronomy 6:5} (emphasis added) This means to love God with nothing held back, not even life itself (see Philippians 1:20-21 and Romans 12:1-2). Along with this is the decision to leave your ways of doing things, sins, etc. “Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.” {Isaiah 55:7}

Second: there are some attitudes and actions that we need to nurture. The realization that we are to involve God in everything we do is important. “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” {Colossians 3:17} Also we need to cultivate the attitude of always going to God first and depending on him. “Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.” {1 Chronicles 16:11} Then there are actions like saturating our lives with God’s Word: “These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.” {Deuteronomy 6:6} In doing this we will be passing God’s Word on to our children by word and deed. Also we will be thinking about God all the time. God will help to be creative in coming up with ways to do this. “Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” {Deuteronomy 6:7-9}

So this year every one of us should work on strengthening our love for God. My hope and prayer is that next December you and I can look back on this year and see that yes Love for God has deepened; yes we have kept this great commandment! Then like Caleb you will be able to say: “... I, however, followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly.” {Joshua 14:8b}

Written by Rev. Daniel Baker January 2003



Articles by Rev. Daniel B. Baker :: Webmaster: Joseph I. Baker