By Mary Isaacs

"For this reason make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and brotherly kindness, love.  For if you possess these things in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. "(2 Pet.1:5-8 NIV)

Making New Year resolutions is a commitment by an individual for self improvement. New Year resolutions are usually made after reflection of the past, and in consideration of the vision of what one wants to accomplish in future. While most people make these resolutions on the 1^st of January, there is nothing wrong with making them in late January or early February. This gives time to work out concrete goals that one wants to achieve.

Common New Year Resolutions

Common New Year resolutions include; Lose Weight; Get fit (exercise more); Eat right; Get out of debt; Save money; Get a better job; Get a better education; Stop drinking alcohol; Quit smoking; Spend more time with family and friends; Reduce stress; Take a trip; Volunteer to help others; Learn something new; Enjoy life more (be less grumpy); and Be more independent.

All these resolutions are good because they can add a lot to people’s physical, emotional and economic well being. Regular exercise for example has been associated with many health benefits including reduced risk of some cancers, increased longevity, achievement and maintenance of ideal weight, mood enhancement, lower blood pressure, and even improvement of arthritis.

However, 1Timothy 4:8 instructs us to keep exercise in perspective: “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” This also applies to other resolutions hinged on physical achievements.

New Year Resolutions for a Christian

The most important thing we need to remember as Christians making New Year resolutions is to put God first.  “Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.”(Psalms 37:5-6)

Peter reminds Christians of the need for continual growth of our faith in Christ and our knowledge of Him. "For this reason make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and brotherly kindness, love.  For if you possess these things in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive ........"  (2 Pet.1:5-8 NIV.)

Only God's Word and the Holy Spirit can accomplish continual growth of our faith and knowledge of Christ. We cannot accomplish these goals through personal discipline and determination.

Therefore, in making New Year resolutions we should pray to the Lord for wisdom in making them, and rely on God’s strength and grace in their fulfillment.

And in everything we should give God the Glory.

This article first appeared in the November 2010- January 2011 issue of Woman of Faith magazine. Copyright: Woman of Faith Magazine. All rights reserved. For comments write to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it