I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
~ Philippians 3:14
If you are chattering about New Year’s Resolutions, you’re not alone. Whether you do so for fun or for attempts to make serious change in your life, it’s a custom that receives a lot of attention every year as we approach the coming New Year.
I did a brief observation of the many tweets that include the hashtag #newyearsresolution to see what’s on the minds of others. They ranged from the absurd to the sad to the strange and to the inspirational. Not surprisingly, however, is the reality that the vast majority of them centered around concepts that symbolized the individual would be in control of their destiny. Perhaps not their ultimate destiny, but a tiny sliver of it nonetheless.
Very few – none in fact – remotely stated things like “lay everything in the hands of God” or “allow Him to increase as I seek to decrease”. Seems that we are more likely to take the opportunity to use a new calendar year to become more self-reliant in an attempt to live happier and better lifestyles. Yet, unfortunately, this is the wrong path and approach.
It’s not until we submit and realize there is a much higher God – our God – who is in control an humbly serve as we yield control that we will realize a better life. Riches may come even if we followed the former approach, but they surely would come with a price. One that we cannot afford to pay on our own.
And this brings me to Revelations.
Once again, people are interested in controlling their own fates, so they turn to Revelations. Perhaps they seek answers. Perhaps it’s loopholes. But whatever the case, is turning toward Revelation the answer?
I don’t think so.
See, I think back to not so long ago when the talk of the world was “Y2K”. I remember doing all sorts of contingency planning at work despite knowing full well and having undeniable confidence that nothing would go wrong. We spend hours, money and resources and when January 1, 2000 hit, nothing changed. It was business as usual. No systems down. No second coming.
But does that mean we should not have been prepared for the teeny tiny chance that something would go wrong? Absolutely not. But, were the answers spelled out in black and white? Were there loopholes in the computer manuals. No. We submitted to the possibility that worldwide strive could be near and worked long hours to make sure we were prepared.
And that brings me to the final point, one I am fond of saying: “God has prepared me for this exact moment. And this one. And this one. And . . .” you get the idea. You see, nothing comes by chance. Insight is revealed to us at the precise moment where God has readied us for it. Strangely, it may make little sense at the time and could even take years to discern, but it’s truth.
To help me illustrate my point, I’ll share some examples with you in the coming days.
Stay tuned. In the meantime, I suggest you check out Edwards’s Resolutions in Seven Categories at desiringGod.