The MOST IMPORTANT Resolution for 2014

There are lots of things I want to resolve to do this year:

I want to go swimming more often.

I want to spend more time with my kids each week.
I want to read a book every 2 weeks.
I want to see my friends more regularly.
I want to read my Bible more often and pray more each day.

I think these are good goals.

I guess overall I want to be a better person – kinder and more generous. I want to be better at my job. I want to be fitter. And I want to learn more about God and my faith.

The Apostle Paul reflects on resolutions in the book of Philippians chapter 3. He is concerned for those who ‘put confidence in the flesh’. In other words, those who feel good about themselves by setting goals, and feeling that if they attain them that they are better people and more acceptable to God. He says that if anyone has reason for confidence it is him –

“…circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless…” (5-6)

 

He had it all. In modern day’s terms he would be most pleasing to any god – he looked the best, he was the happiest, he knew the most and he had the most success. In other words, he had what many of us want, and what many of our resolutions subtly point to.

Many of our resolutions can be selfish and driven by pride.

Perhaps we want to know more so we can blog more intelligently, or speak more fluently.

Perhaps we feel we need to change because our spouse is putting pressure on us.

Perhaps we want to be like someone else at church who seems to be such a great teacher and leader.

But Paul goes on to say:

“But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ… …I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (7-8, 13-14)

He counts all these other resolutions as worthless compared to one thing, one resolution – to know Christ.

Know Christ.

What a challenge this is to me. Will I press on towards that goal this year?

Will I do anything and everything to win that prize?

Will this be my one resolution? Will it be yours?

Paul says he strains and presses on for this. It doesn’t just happen. So in the next of this mini-series I’ll take a look at a few ways we might use this thing called the ‘Quiet Time’ to achieve our one resolution, to know Jesus better.

Image: http://allfacebook.com/files/2011/11/Do1Thing.jpg