New Resolution

With the New Year comes the infamous New Year’s Resolution. Some will resolve to lose weight, manage their time better, save money, and a host of other things. The start of a New Year brings about goals and plans of things many want to do differently in the upcoming New Year. While no one except the Father knows the time of the Lord’s coming, we do know that He will come as a thief in the night, so it behooves us to be ready (I Thess. 5:2; II Pet. 3:10, Rev. 16:15). Prayerfully our resolve is to be a better Christian than we were in 2022. The question then becomes: How many of us will be disciplined enough to commit to what it takes to achieve this goal while encouraging others, too? It is impossible to become a better Christian and Servant of Christ without reading and hearing God’s word, and then applying It to our daily walk.

“So, faith comes from hearing and hearing by the word of Christ” (Rom. 10:17). And that, “All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (II Tim. 3:16-17). The Bible stands as the infallible word of God, and only through contact with the Scriptures are Christians able to develop and grow our faith – so that we will be equipped to do every good work. Further, “And without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him” (Heb. 11:6).

Finally, seeing that “His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (II Pet. 1:3-8).

Let us seek to draw closer to Him according to the word of God – that we exercise our zeal for God through fervent study, discipline, and personal application.

— Damon Long