Much has been said and written about New Year’s Resolutions. Some people laud them and suggest that if you don’t set any goals, you don’t have anything to shoot for in terms of personal growth. Others believe that we all set far too lofty a set of goals, and that we don’t even have a chance to attain them, because we ourselves do not change during our sleep on New Year’s Eve.
How about a new approach. Instead of setting goals about how much we can earn, or how much better we will perform, what if our goals were tied into things that we actually have control over? I would like to pose two, that are deeply rooted in scripture.
The first is to love. Bob and Judy Hughes have written a great book about “Love focused goals!” In short, the idea I suggest is that since we don’t really have control of many of the outcomes in our life, let us set goals which have to do more with loving others well. John 13:35 reminds us that this is HOW the world is supposed to recognize the legitimacy of our faith…by our love. Romans 12:9-13 reminds us what that kind of love looks like.
The second is to serve. Deeply linked to and powered by love, serving others is incredibly powerful, because we feel the pleasure of God in our hearts when were serve in secret. Matthew 6:3 talks about giving to people in secret, and it cannot be overemphasized how freeing and rewarding it is. It sow the seeds of joy and gratitude to do something for someone, without expecting EVEN TO BE NOTICED! May you find joy and encouragement from this challenge in the next year, and always!