It’s that time. The beginning of each year seems the logical place of life evaluation and fresh resolve. But most of us are tired of humanistic resolutions with little success. “The arm of flesh will fail us, we dare not trust our own,” Luther observed. And, if we do find some success in mere human achievement, we get the glory, which is never God’s design.

Change is needed in all of our lives, so how do we develop a better, lasting resolution?

SEEK HIM

“How blessed are those…who seek Him with all their heart,” the Psalmist said (Psalm 119:2). Instead of thinking your best thoughts about what needs to happen in your life this year, why not ask Him? Pursue the Lord through prayer and the Word and ask Him what He wants to change in you. Let His opinion and direction determine what needs attention. Father knows best. Always.

SURRENDER THE WILL

The human will is the lynchpin that opens the door to God’s rule in our lives. We can choose to ignore His promptings and leadership or to say, like Christ, “not my will, but Thine be done.” A pliable will submits gladly and quickly to the promptings of God’s Spirit and the illumination of God’s Word. It has realized that humanistic resolutions and strength are weak and has come to recognize the value of full surrender to Christ. Let the battle happen in Gethsemane.

FOLLOW THE SPIRIT

Paul told us we must not “quench the Spirit.” As He directs and leads, follow without hesitation. Offer no resistance to His leadership, but simply let God be God in you and through you. As you do this, you will discover that the Spirit is a perfect leader. You will become a suit of clothes that Jesus wears and are able to say with Paul, “It is not I, but Christ who lives in me and the life I now live, I live by faith in the One who loved me and gave His life for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

GIVE HIM ALL THE GLORY

When God has initiated, directed and accomplished His work through you with your humble cooperation there is only One that deserves the glory. And that is precisely as it should always be.