HEBREWS 10:23–24
New Year’s may be a secular holiday, but it can be a good holiday for Christians to celebrate. It is a good time to reflect on the past year, and it gives us a chance to think about how we should act in the coming year. We make resolutions to eat healthier or exercise more, but we should be applying New Year’s resolutions to our Christian walk as well. Reflecting on the past year, you may recall things you are ashamed of. Don’t worry, but repent, and our God, the God of second chances, will lovingly extend His forgiveness. As you look to the coming year, find ways to improve your walk with God by devoting more time to reading the Word. Consider how you treat your family. Be sensitive to their needs and make yourself a servant to your parents and siblings. As with dieting, these disciplines are not easy. It takes a lot of self-control and diligence to cultivate and maintain a healthy relationship with the Lord and the people around you. Many New Year’s resolutions, like the latest fad diet, are forgotten before January ends, but do not let your spiritual resolutions slip. Instead, heed the exhortation found in Hebrews: “Let us hold unswervingly to the faith we profess.”
Jessica Runk, 19, Patrick Henry College, Purcellville, VA
Father, my one and only New Year’s resolution is
to love and serve You more. Please give me the strength
to stick with it all 365 days of the new year.