For Christ’s love compels us, since we have reached this conclusion: If one died for all, then all died. And He died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for the One who died for them and was raised.
2 Corinthians 5:14-15 HCSB
Last year, the phrase “New Year, New You” was the motto for 2023. Well, how has that worked out for you? Did you make a New Year’s resolution? And now for the big question, did you keep it? Did you accomplish whatever goal it was you set for yourself?
According to a survey conducted by Forbes Health/One Poll the four most popular New Year’s resolutions for 2024 are, improved fitness (48%), improved finances (38%), improved mental health (36%), lose weight (34%), improved diet (32%). If you have resolved to do one or more of things, Forbes Health recommends not making unrealistic goals, but smaller, more manageable goals.
There was an article in www.guardian.com that said the best way to keep your New Year’s resolution is to not make one. They recommend the anti-resolution approach to the New Year. They also suggest that if you want to make changes, set tiny attainable goals and do it little by little.
Gyms, weight loss centers, Weight Watchers’ meetings are always flooded in January but by March they start to lose steam. Why is that? Why can’t we make a lasting change in our lives? Well, I can’t speak for everyone, but I can tell you that for many years I couldn’t make lasting changes because I was trying to change the wrong things for the wrong reasons.
Our Scripture passage tells us that Christ died for all. He died for the atheists and the Christians alike. He died for all us sinners. We have the choice to make, we can accept Him or reject Him. He gives us free will to choose.
Many of us want to make life altering changes to better ourselves or our quality of life, but we fail to realize who we should be living for. Christ died for us so that we could have eternal life. We too, must die to our old selves so that we can be a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).
As human beings, we tend to be self-centered. We want to make these changes so we will look better and make a better impression on those around us. We need to always be mindful that we have only to impress the One who holds our future in His hands.
When Jesus Christ is our number one priority in our life, He will help us make the changes that need to be made.
If we want to be healthier, this should be motivated by the fact that our body is a temple. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 tells us that our body is a sanctuary or temple of the Holy Spirit who is in us, whom we have from God. We were bought at the price of Jesus’ precious blood. Therefore, we should use our bodies to serve and glorify God.
If you want to do a better job with your finances, it should be motivated by the fact that all we have is given to us by God. We are to return a portion of what God has given us to His service. Malachi 3:8-10 says, “Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! You ask: ‘How have we robbed You?’ In tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the whole nation of you! Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse so that there may be food in my house and test Me now in this” says Yahweh of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and empty out for you a blessing until it is beyond enough.”
I pray that right now, you resolve to surrender your life to Jesus and accept Him as your Lord and Savior if you have not already done so. If you have accepted Him as your Lord and Savior, resolve to serve Him. He died so that we might live. The least we can do is live for Him. Make Him your priority and He will take care of all the rest (Matthew 6:33).
Have a very Happy New Year!