Though resolutions fail…

Each year is like a door to the unknown. Photo by W. Richter.

(January 27, 2014) It usually happened every year around the end of January. I had to acknowledge my failure to keep New Year’s resolutions. I’ve done much better since I quit making them.

Last year I decided to forgo resolutions after considering my track record: the rabbit-like start; the tortoise-like progression; the road-kill finish.

I once thought my self-improvement goals were superior to my husband’s simple, more practical ones. Yet by year’s end, his list faithfully emerged from his top desk drawer with a bold checkmark beside each entry. My own list remained hidden from view, deep in the belly of a long-finished journal.

I still appreciate the idea of a fresh start. In his book, The Rest of God, Mark Buchanan shares the benefit of looking ahead to new days. He says the past might be beyond repair, but we have the future, “vast, unbroken, pristine, radiant.”

A new year is like a door to the unknown, which can lead to surprises, including unpleasant ones that challenge us to trust God more than ever. But what if those challenges find us February-weak instead of January-strong?

I’m learning that my weaknesses can work for my benefit. I experience God’s amazing power when I admit I can do nothing without his help.

The 11th chapter of Hebrews commends men and women of Old Testament times who looked to God to save them from their troubles. The writer recalls that “by faith” they did things like conquer kingdoms, shut the mouths of lions, escape the edge of the sword, and more. But verse 34 says something I need to pay more attention to: “[they] were made strong out of weakness” (ESV).

Our weaknesses and failures can serve as a cure for the kind of self-confidence that keeps us from looking to God. Putting our confidence in him instead of ourselves will give us more confidence to face whatever may come in the future.

Though our resolutions may fail, we can safely trust in God to improve us in a better way. Romans 8:29 reveals his plan for us: “to be conformed to the image of his Son.”

That gives me just one resolution to keep. I want to follow Jesus—to be like him.

Patti Richter

By Blue Ribbon News special contributor Patti Richter of Heath, a journalist who writes news and feature stories, book reviews and more for Christian publications.