With March almost over, it is interesting to see how many of our New Year’s resolutions we have been able to fulfill.
The concept of New Year’s resolutions brings laughter to some, as many are well aware from much experience in the past how difficult (maybe “impossible”) it is to keep New Year’s resolutions.
We are all born with elements of our character that are not in alignment with the Spirit of God, and we have all acted on those elements: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” Rom. 3:23.
Paul wrote, “For I delight in the law of God after the inner man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.” Rom. 7:22,23.
It is because of the law of our members (that is, our flesh), that we generally fail miserably when it comes to New Year’s resolutions.
But, because we fail does not mean that we then can just resign ourselves to the thought of “that’s just the way I am”. We must be careful to not fall into the category that Paul also warned against in 2 Tim. 3:1-5 where he states that in the last days perilous times would come, that men would have “…a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof”
Even the disciples battled against this. In Matthew 17:14-21, a story is related where a man brought his lunatic son to Jesus because Jesus’ disciples could not heal him. Jesus cried out in anguish, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.” When the disciples asked why they could not cast out the devil, the Savior replied, “Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.”
Do we anguish our Savior for our lack of faith? Can we testify that the words of the Savior are true? Jesus said in Mark 9:23, “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.”
Jesus demonstrated His great power during His entire ministry here on Earth. Do we have the faith after more than 2000 years later to know that he can heal us and help us to keep our New Year’s resolutions?