Casual online research reveals five top new year’s resolutions:

• Eat less
• Exercise more
• Spend less
• Enjoy life more
• Spend time with friends and family more

Do they sound familiar? Let’s consider why we eat too much, spend too much, lay around too much and neglect the things in life that bring joy and fulfillment. 

Are our flawed behaviors just bad habits or are our compulsions to behave this way rooted in sin, wounds, or disturbances in our past?

With man’s limited ability to change the inner man, we can turn to Christ, who is ready to forgive our sins, heal our wounds and free us from the bondages that have held us back. Only He can change our thoughts and motivations completely and permanently.

Why are resolutions so similar year after year? Perhaps because we cannot conquer our flawed behavior by making up our minds to change, but rather turning our hearts to our God who is waiting for us to submit to Him. Then, those New Year’s resolutions fade away as He uses His phenomenal ways to calm our souls, bring us peace, and gently change our lives.

Let’s consider setting resolutions aside and surrendering ourselves wholly to a Holy God. No one loves us like Jesus loves us. No one can change our inner being better than He can.

For we are God’s masterpiece.

He has created us anew in Christ Jesus,

so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Ephesians 2:10 NLT