When it comes to Christian teachers and leaders, it’s easy to find most of them polarized to the idea of New Year’s Resolutions. It may come across in a statement similar to…

If you’re going to make a change, why wait until the new year? Do it now!

But why must we make it a point of contention? Why can we not take hold of it and utilize for Christ and his purposes? After all, grace doesn’t say, “Christ did everything for you, so now, sit on the couch, gain thirty pounds, and suck the life out of everyone around you.” No, grace says, “Christ did everything for you, even though you sat on the couch, gained thirty pounds, and sucked the life out of everyone around you! Now, don’t do it anymore, not because the love of God depends on this, but because it doesn’t—grace frees you from slavery and enables you to the things you always were supposed to but were never able to.” You will never pay back Yahweh for what he has done for you, but does that mean we don’t do anything at all? Or do we say with William Carey, “Expect great things from God. Attempt great things for God.”?

Grace will certainly be the most misunderstood reality from now until the end of time. But for now, Christian, will you consider the following? They are found at the end of David Platt’s Radical. Perhaps you are hesitant to make a resolution, especially now 6 days after the new year. Well… you decide, and then pray that God will empower you to do what you have set out to. And always remember the grace that God offers when we fail (and we will).

• Over the next year, I will PRAY for the entire WORLD.

To make this a reality, I hereby commit to…

• Over the next year, I will READ through the entire WORD.

To make this a reality, I hereby commit to…

• Over the next year, I will sacrifice my MONEY for a specific PURPOSE.

To make this a reality, I hereby commit to…

• Over the next year, I will spend TIME in another CONTEXT.

To make this a reality, I hereby commit to…

• Over the next year, I will commit my LIFE to a multiplying COMMUNITY.

To make this a reality, I hereby commit to…