As January unfolds in our community, conversations everywhere buzz with ambitious resolutions. Lose weight. Save money. Learn Spanish. There’s something telling about this annual ritual of self-improvement – how it reveals our universal longing for transformation, for becoming better than we are.
I’ve noticed an interesting pattern in my years of making and breaking resolutions. Despite our best intentions, despite all our planning and determination, we consistently fall short not just of our New Year’s goals, but of our own standards for ourselves. This shared human experience points to a profound truth: we’re all searching for something deeper than self-improvement.
What if our struggle with resolutions reveals something important about our hearts? Each abandoned goal, each failed attempt at change, whispers of our need for something – or someone – greater than ourselves. The apostle Paul, writing in 2 Corinthians 12:9, shares words that transformed his own perspective on human weakness: “But God said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'”
This isn’t about abandoning resolutions – the desire to grow and change can be good and noble. But perhaps our repeated failures at self-improvement can point us toward a more profound truth: we weren’t meant to transform ourselves through sheer willpower. Real, lasting change comes through recognizing our deep need for God’s grace through Jesus Christ.
As you consider your resolutions for 2025, I invite you to ponder this: What if the answer isn’t found in trying harder but in surrendering to a love greater than our failures? What if our shortcomings aren’t meant to drive us to despair but to drive us to a Savior who offers not just behavior modification but heart transformation?
In Christ, we find not just another self-help strategy but a complete renewal – not because we are enough, but because HE is. That’s a new beginning worth considering as we enter this new year.
The Pastor’s Place features columns written by a different area church leader each month. Call 940-728-8284 for more information.
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