Resolutions and transformation

A man made a permanent move into a retirement home. It wasn’t long before he made friends with a special lady. They spent a lot of time together and finally one evening he proposed, asking her to marry him. The next morning he woke up remembering his proposal, but couldn’t remember her answer. So, he went to her and said, “I’m really embarrassed. I know I proposed to you last night, but I can’t remember if you said ‘yes’ or ‘no’.” “Oh, thank goodness!” she exclaimed. “I remember saying ‘yes’ but I couldn’t remember who asked me.” New Year’s resolutions can be much like that, can’t they? We remember making and committing to them, but we just don’t remember them for very long. No wonder the most common New Year’s resolution today is never to make New Year’s resolutions again. Let’s face it; whether it is eating habits, a new exercise routine, or even our spiritual habits; it’s hard to make changes. But I believe we can change. And with the New Year upon us, it’s a good time to consider a transformation.

Paul says in Romans 7:21-25 - “The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God’s commands, but it’s pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge. I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can help me? Isn’t that the real question? The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.”(Message Bible) Paul assures us that real transformation is possible, but only through Jesus Christ. God’s business is transformation, and He wants to change us for good, not just for the time being. Jesus summed it all up in Matthew 26:41 - “Watch and pray so that you don’t fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” You see, the ultimate resolution is not to cut the carbs, or quit smoking, or get to aerobics class twice a week, but to live in the presence and power of Jesus and the Holy Spirit, so that He can transform and strengthen us from the inside out. God’s goal in our life is transformation and the best time to start is right now.

So, how does this all work? Well, think about it like an Electrical Transformer. It takes high voltage and transforms it into energy that we can use in our everyday lives. Through His birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension, Jesus has transformed the power of God into impulses of grace for salvation and for everyday living. The real resolution is to allow that current of God’s grace, through the Holy Spirit, to control all of our impulses, making life a moment-by-moment adventure with Jesus living in us. But Jesus needs our consent and cooperation. In the book, Ministry of Healing, we read, “We cannot change our hearts, we cannot control our thoughts, our impulses, or our affections. We cannot make ourselves pure, that is, fit for God’s service. But we can choose to serve God, and we can give Him our will; then He will work in us to will and to do according to His good pleasure. (Phil. 2:13) Thus our whole nature will be brought under the control of Christ.” By yielding up the will to Christ, we ally ourselves with divine power and receive strength from above to hold us steadfast. Believe me, it’s a powerful transformation experience. And, all God needs is our consent and cooperation; a choosing to serve Him; and a yielding of our will to Him.

I know there are all kinds of diet drugs and pills, miracle working equipment, and life-changing products and plans calling us to sign up. But Paul advises us in 1 Tim 4:7-9 - “Stay clear of silly stories that get dressed up as religion. Exercise daily in God - no spiritual flabbiness, please! Workouts in the gymnasium are useful, but a disciplined life in God is far more so, making you fit both today and forever.” (Message Bible) Did you catch the secret to lasting transformation and success in our New Year Resolutions? Spiritual transformation is not a matter of trying harder, but of training wisely with the right coach. So, don’t get discouraged by the trying process of change and making resolutions, just begin training with Jesus one day at a time and experience His personal transformational power. “Be confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” (Phil. 1:6)