resolutions

Happy New Year! Here we are again, on the first day of the first month of a brand new year. In some ways, nothing is different from yesterday; the calendar is a convenient way of marking time, that’s all. Even so, this still feels like a fresh start. Maybe we can make this year a better one than last year.

That’s what New Year’s resolutions are all about. We make them because we genuinely want to do better. I’m not much for resolutions, but I am a goal-setter. To me, the difference is that my goals are usually longer term than just a year, and I look at my goals and set intermediate goals all through the year, not just at New Year’s. But I do it the first month of each quarter, so now’s the time.

This year, as I was working on a sermon about the temptation of Jesus, I was struck by Matthew 4:1: “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” in the context of resolutions and goal-setting, it seemed significant.

Immediately preceding this verse in the account of Matthew, Jesus was baptised. The Spirit descended on him like a dove, and God’s voice from heaven announced Jesus as His son. Jesus was starting on his public ministry. It was a time for plans. It was a time for strategy. It was a time for action.

It was also a time to follow the Spirit. We are given the Spirit to equip us for life, for decision-making, for good judgment. The Spirit helps us understand how God thinks, and what we should do. And the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness for an encounter with the devil. Despite what men might think, that was the next, most important thing for Jesus. And Jesus, the only truly holy man, followed the Holy Spirit on this seeming diversion. By doing so, he would strengthen his relationship with his father, prepare for his mission, and endure what every man in history has endured. It would be a key time for his walk on earth.

If Jesus was attentive to the Spirit, I want to be too. This year, I want to do goal-setting with a new twist. I’ll try to take time to seek counsel from my Counselor. I’ll ask for and listen to his input as often as I can - daily, I hope. I’m sure it’s the best foundation for successful goal achievement.