Marc Minter

“Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God’s help, I do humbly entreat him by his grace to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ’s sake.”

Jonathan Edwards was a Congregational pastor in New England during the eighteenth century, and he wrote these words atop a list of seventy resolutions. He compiled his list by the time he was twenty years old, and his resolutions focused on every aspect of Christian living. He resolved to read and study his Bible, to pray for himself and for others, to seek the good of his neighbor, to confess his sin regularly, and to build meaningful relationships with other Christians.

The beginning of a new year is typically a time when many of us make “New Year’s Resolutions.” Most of these tend to focus on self-improvement of some sort, but they also tend to be quite superficial. Maybe some of us are aiming to lose weight for health reasons or save more money for a noble cause, but (if we’re honest) most of us just want to be a bit better, a bit thinner, a bit wealthier, or a bit more productive… for the sake of personal pride.

Don’t read me wrongly here, there is nothing inherently wrong with self-improvement. As a matter of fact, I regularly aim for various self-improvement goals myself, and I challenge my older son to do so as well. In due time I will do the same for my younger son, but my wife and I are doing good right now to keep his 8-year-old mind focused on following simple instructions. God willing, both of my sons will increasingly learn the value of setting, accomplishing, and evaluating goals for themselves.

And yet, it is far more important to me that my sons learn the value of knowing Jesus Christ better, of building quality and long-term relationships with other Christians, and of disciplining themselves to resist temptation and to pursue holiness. These goals are not nearly as glamorous, and they are almost impossible to measure in this mortal life, but these are the sort of goals or resolutions that will prove to be priceless over time. The Apostle Paul wrote to his disciple, Timothy, “train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:7-8).

This year, as we think of ways we might improve, and as we might even establish some resolutions, I trust that our efforts to consider those areas of our lives that are of greater value will be well worth our time. Maybe you could commit to reading the Bible a little each day. Maybe you could commit to pray for the spiritual and material needs of people you know. Maybe you could commit to join a church and give yourself to knowing and loving those Christians who gather with you each Sunday morning. Maybe you could commit to giving away a small portion of your time, treasure, and talent in order to be a benefit to others in some way.

It is important for all Christians to remember that God’s love for us is not based upon our good works, but instead it is based upon His own gracious grace. God has sent His own Son to live and die in the place of sinners, so that those who turn from their sin and trust in Him will be saved from the penalty of their sin. And it is also important for us to remember that those who are saved will show their own love for Christ and for others in the world by doing good works.

May God help us grow in faith and good works, and may we find increasing joy in loving Christ and loving others throughout this new year.