A New Year, A New You!

At the beginning of a new year, many people all over the world will make New Year’s resolutions. Making New Year’s resolutions takes the New Year seriously as a new start. If you’re like most people, you’ve probably made a few resolutions for the new year. Perhaps, you'll quit smoking, stop drinking, manage money more wisely, spend more time with family, and lose weight, in conjunction with exercising more and eating more healthily. For many of us, we also make spiritual resolutions like to pray more, to read the Bible every day, and to attend church more regularly. While I believe New Year's resolutions are worth making because we all need change --- New Years Resolutions don't do any good if our source of strength is anything other than the Holy Spirit.

Zechariah 4:6 declares

“It’s not by power, not by might, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty ”

Here we see it is through God’s Spirit that we are to accomplish our purposes and goals. Every year, probably since I was a teenager, I was determined to do better in the New Year --- to do something or to not do something. I can remember making a list and keeping them a few weeks into the calendar year and then abandoning them altogether. I then quickly realized it was a new year but it was the same old me ... but that was because the Holy Spirit wasn't live within me.

Conclusion
New Year's Resolutions are good things because with a new year come new resolutions to change and better ourselves. But, when we desire change, we have the perfect example to follow – Jesus. When we are ready to implement change we have His Son, His Word, and His Spirit! This is one reason why we need Jesus. When we put our lives into His hands, he comes to live within us by his Holy Spirit and begins to change us from within. He gives us a new desire to do what’s right, and a new power to carry it out. Romans 8:26 tells us, “The Spirit helps us in our weakness”. Last but not least, its important to make sure we invite God to help us change, because with His strength and power we can. Remember Philippians 4:13 tells us, “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” Jesus can make all things new within us - and continue His work of making all things new through us.

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”