7 You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah
8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.
God provides for us incredible wisdom through His Word, and we have the promise of His personal instruction by the Spirit. Not only do we study and meditate on His principles, but as we gain more knowledge and understanding, those are synthesized by the Spirit to give us power for living a life that reflects the nature of Christ in us. Our growth from exposure to God's truth and the fellowship of His people can be reflected in the way that we act each day, walking in the power of the Holy Spirit.
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As we commit ourselves to spiritual growth, we recognize that the integration of God's truth can
produce action for His glory. Consider the words of 2nd Timothy 3:
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
When considering topics surrounding the new year, I prefer to use the word "reset," rather than another r-word with the same first 3 letters. That's right - resolution.
There is statistical evidence that shows that many, if not most, people, don't keep them anyway.
A 2013 YouGov Omnibus survey showed that just six days after January 1st, 11% of Americans had already broken at least one resolution while 22% had cheated a few times but were generally going well. It pointed out that the resolutions that were broken first are the most popular ones made: losing weight and doing more exercise.
A U.K. Daily Mail study showed in 2012 that January 9 was the day most people will give up their New Year's resolutions - just nine days after they were made. Three-quarters of 3,000 British adults surveyed admitted they were no longer confident they would stick to their promises for the rest of the month.
And, Forbes quoted from University of Scranton research, suggesting that just 8% of people achieve their New Year’s goals.
LifeWay Research conducted a study recently that shows that 57 percent of Americans report making health-related New Year’s resolutions in the past, while 52 percent say they’ve addressed their relationship with God.
Scott McConnell, vice president of LifeWay Research, says, “We don’t hear a lot of talk about it, but a relationship with God is still something people want,” adding, “They have time at the holidays to think, and they realize what they didn’t do last year — things they value but are not living out. So they start the year with an aspiration to change.”
Other leading areas include use of time, at 43 percent, relationships with a family member (42 percent), finances (37 percent), work (33 percent), and relationships with a friend (31 percent).
The survey shows that Americans with evangelical beliefs are among the most likely to make New Year’s resolutions about their relationship with God: 72 percent say they have made resolutions regarding God, while 56 percent have addressed their health.
McConnell says, "For an evangelical, faith should be integrated into every area of life.” He adds, "Not every resolution will be about having a relationship with God, but their relationship with God should be affecting what they do in other areas.”
Some thoughts related to this survey now...
First of all, it's gratifying to know that a significant number of people wants to work on their relationship with God. We should be devoted to spiritual growth. But, the vague concept of being "closer to God" is merely a starting point. The Bible can show us and the Holy Spirit will direct us in actually living that out.
Spiritual goals can perhaps fit into two categories - Christian activity and Christian application. Walk with me here. I would put Bible reading, prayer, church attendance, small group study, and other faith-based actions in that "activity" category - this involves using the tools and opportunities that God is provided to strengthen our spiritual walk.
Then there's the application category, which really involves more of a long-term approach. Doing Christian things are important, and we grow through our exposure to God's Word and spending time in His presence and in the presence of other believers. But, we have to make sure that His truth is being integrated into the way we live. That flows from a consistent walk with the Holy Spirit.
For instance, do we want to display Christ's love to a specific area or even a specific person? Once we have identified that area as being a growth spot, then we can rely on the Spirit to walk with us and through us to express His nature. We can become more conscious of how God wants us to act.
Or, maybe you have an area, like health or finances, where you need to integrate God's power in order to maintain the discipline to act and persevere in those areas. As McConnell says, "For an evangelical, faith should be integrated into every area of life."
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