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New Year, New (Broken) Resolutions

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A few years ago, TIME Magazine published an article listing the top ten commonly broken New Year’s Resolutions. Here’s three of them. 

 

  • Lose Weight and Get Fit: Research says that 60% of new gym memberships go unused and attendance returns to normal by mid-February.

 

  • Quit Smoking: Only an estimated 15% of people who try to quit manage to stay cigarette-free six months later. 

 

  • Drink Less: Most people who made that resolution broke it soon after midnight, right? 

 

When you think about it, resolutions are just watered-down promises. People make a promise either to themselves, to others, or to God. And they usually break them—fast. Why do human beings find it so hard to keep their promises?

 

Politicians sworn into office promise to uphold their duties and serve their country. Newlyweds at the altar promise to remain loyal no matter what. Witnesses in a court room place their hands on the Bible and swear to tell the whole truth. Men ordained into the Gospel ministry promise to remain faithful to God and Scripture.

 

Promise-breaking is deeply imbedded in our DNA.The evidence confronts us every day. 30% of new students drop out during their first year of college. Broken paroles left and right. And maybe you wouldn’t be startled to read the statistics concerning missed or late credit card payments. Those all represent broken agreements or promises. 

 

We’re a promise-breaking race of people and we know it! That’s why if you purchase a car or home, the decision is fast, but the paperwork takes forever. Why? Because people in our society just take it for granted that you will not keep your word. A handshake and a nod will not suffice. You need witnesses. You need a notary. Legal ramifications. A Bible to place your hand on to prove you “really mean it!”  

 

Why bring all this up on January 6, 2020? Because by now, you’ve probably engaged in some promise-breaking of your own and need some encouragement. Well I have some!

 

Jesus kept his promise to us—when it mattered the most. He kept the promise He made to deeply flawed and sinful people. He saw the worst in us—all our sins, failures and weaknesses. But instead of leaving, he stayed on the cross. He kept the hardest promise that’s ever been made.

 

His promise? To free us. To tear us away from the lies that hold us captive. To bring us into His Kingdom. To make us His sons and daughters. To cleanse and forgive us. To conform us into His glorious image. To redeem us whatever the price. And it was huge.     

 

That’s true Christianity. And it’s important to remember when 60% of Americans still believe the phrase “God helps those who help themselves” is actually in the Bible. It’s not. If it was, we’d be hopelessly doomed. We still break our promises to God, ourselves and others. In just one moment of weakness. We get seduced and cave. A lie here. A cut-corner there. We drift. We make light of our vows to God.

 

But he does not. And that’s one more piece of good news for you. If we could lose our salvation, we would. Every. Single. Day. But our salvation does not depend on our fickle faithfulness. It depends on His. Always has. Always will. That’s the Gospel. Happy 2020!

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