Revise Your Resolutions So They Truly Last

Let’s be honest with ourselves. What truly is our expectation in seeking Jesus? J. I. Packer puts it this way in his book Knowing God. He asks, “What is my ultimate aim and objective in occupying my mind with these things?” Is it to be nearer to God or become better in God’s eyes? Is it to know Him more or do more for Him? 

I remember reading these words many years ago and coming to the humbling realization that my motivation in pursuing sanctification was based on an expectation of self-improvement rather than simply spending time with my Savior. This counterfeit form of Christianity negates the motivation and message of the Gospel and is a futile foundation for our faith. 

When we look to Scripture, we read of a motivation that is free from external expectations and driven by one desire, to be near the one who loves us. 

John 4: 9-10 says, “This is how God’s love was revealed among us: God sent His one and only Son into the world so that we might live through Him. And love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 

It is God’s love that draws us into a relationship with Him. Our motivation cannot be sustained by spiritual expectations set by man. For lasting change begins with accepting the undeserving love of our Heavenly Father.

The Apostle emphasized this foundation of a loving union in Ephesians 3:16-19 saying, 

“I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.”

This is our motivation. To experience the love of Christ and to be filled full with power that comes from God. He is our source of sufficiency and strength. So, we come. Broken and bruised, unscheduled and often inconsistently, but knowing that it is His love that motivates our lives and reorients our souls to seek Him. 

Mike Cosper, author of Recapturing the Wonder (2017) notes the importance of this revision to our expectations revolved around spiritual development saying, “any approach to Christian life that seeks self-improvement as the end goal will fail… A life of prayer, fasting, and spiritual disciplines can easily become a life of empty religious effort if the goal isn’t communion with God. We don’t need self-improvement - we need to come home.”

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How often we equate our spiritual standing with the quantity of our spiritual service. Let’s look back at our resolutions and evaluate the balance of our being over our doing for the Lord. 

In John 10, Jesus comes to the home of Mary and Martha. We read that Mary sits at Jesus’ feet listening to him teach while Martha is distracted with serving. Finally, she voices her frustration to the Lord saying, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her” (John 10:38-42).

How often I assume the role of Martha, focused on my doing for Jesus and missing the moments to hear from Him and to personally experience His presence. There is so much to learn from being with Jesus in the silence of our morning or the stillness of our evening. In deepening our relationship with Jesus, it is vital that our doing for Him flow out of our being with Him. 

Jesus himself reminds us of this important revision to our pursuit of fruitfulness. In John 15:4-5 He says, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, He it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing...”

In verses 8-11 Jesus points back to the motivation of our pursuit, saying, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” 

Here is the gospel-centered focus for spiritual development: Being with Jesus. Abiding with him and producing fruit that only can be grown in surrender to His affection for us.

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This process of revising our resolutions shifts when we discard the regulations of religious obligation and rekindle a relationship with our loving Father. By basing God's approval on our religious compliance, we miss the message of the Gospel completely. 

We are no longer bound to the rules of religion but invited into a relationship with a Father who desires to give us abundant life! 1 John 3:1 says, “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.” 

What does it mean for us to be God’s children? For some the knowledge of a father’s love is limited. Regardless of our background or broken experiences, God’s love invites us into this special place of belonging. It is the kind of affection that desires deep connection over obligation. As a father, God’s love welcomes us home, invites us into His tenderness, and offers us the eternal inheritance of heaven. 

It is so easy to forget the relational aspect of God’s character. The Apostle Paul reminds us of this in Galatians 4, saying: 

“So now that you know God (or should I say, now that God knows you), why do you want to go back again and become slaves once more to the weak and useless spiritual principles of this world? You are trying to earn favor with God by observing certain days or months or seasons or years. I fear for you. Perhaps all my hard work with you was for nothing. Dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to live as I do in freedom from these things, for I have become like you Gentiles—free from those laws" (Galatians 4:9-12). 

Let us live free from the pressure of seeking our worth in our works but rather willingly walk in our belonging.

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I don’t believe I am alone in saying that I am a recovering perfectionist. The challenge of trying new things and failing is an excruciating process. For many, this fear of missing the mark stems from misplaced expectations (there they are again). Here is a fresh perspective as we begin the process of forming habits and press into new spiritual disciplines.

It takes practice. Shocker, I know. In reality, I am so thankful that this journey with Jesus is not measured on the mastery of my spirituality. I am in the process, and so are you! 

The Apostle Paul, the writer of over half of the New Testament, gives us an encouraging perspective in Philippians 3 saying, 

“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:12-14).

If Paul was not perfect, then we are in good company. Paul’s motivation to press on and press into Christ is grounded in the Gospel's motivation - for Christ has made us His own! With the motivation of Christ’s love displayed on the cross, we can press on, practicing poorly, and praying for strength only He can give. Thankfully, God loved us way before we ever got things right. 

So, I want to leave you with this encouragement from Hebrews 12 as we begin our journey into the New Year. May these words of truth be our guidepost and reminder to run well, press on, and hold onto Jesus so that we do not lose heart. 

Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with endurance the race set out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author, and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. 

Happy New Year.

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