My 2024 Resolution Experiment

It’s that time of year again – the New Year – a time for looking back on the old and setting goals for the new.  It is a time when exercise equipment sales soar, health food sales explode, and money management seminars actually get watched.  Resolution time.  Even if you gave up on resolutions at New Year’s Eve a long time ago, the dawning of a new year still stirs some resolution in you to have a different year than last year – a better year – a happier year.  So even without really resolving, most of us have a resolution still whispering in our hearts for something that we think will make everything better.  And for a week or so, we have the stamina, excitement and will power to make it happen.

You wonder what is wrong with you.

Then, around January 8 for me, maybe a little longer for others, the exercise equipment becomes an unattractive clothes rack.  The Doritos I so religiously threw out get restocked.  The budget that I so carefully constructed gets exceeded in one shopping spree.  And I give up with a feeling of failure, and go back to the routines that I am used to.  If you are not like me and you have actually kept your resolutions, I deeply admire you.  That is a level of will power I don’t have.  But I suspect that most people have experienced the resolution letdown phase.  You wonder what is wrong with you that you can’t just keep to a simple exercise plan, or diet, or budget, or whatever it is you resolved.  You throw up your hands in defeat, frustration, and even a little bit of shame.

I needed to try something pretty radical.

This year, in a new place with a new world of opportunities in front of me, I wondered what goals, if any, I should set for the new year.  Even though it was a new place, I soon realized it was still the old, tired resolutions I had every year – lose weight, get healthy, explore more, spend less money and more time on things I enjoy.  Yet I knew that even in a new place, these resolutions would probably fail by January 8 as well.  So if I really wanted to do something different with my life – if I really wanted lasting change – I needed to try something pretty radical.  And there is nothing more radical than God.

Our job is to seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness. 

The words of Matthew 6:33 came to mind: “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (ESV) This comes from the Sermon on the Mount and the things Jesus was talking about being added were all the earthly things we need – food, drink, clothes, etc.  All the things we need to be safe and healthy.  All those things that so many of our resolutions are about – health, happiness, and stability.  But Jesus isn’t asking us to seek after those things.  He says God will take care of that.  Our job is to seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness.  That’s our resolution.  Then all of that other stuff I struggle with will be taken care of by God.  Wow – now that is a pretty radical promise for the new year!

Jesus said “seek and you will find” not “do and you will find”. 

Ok – so step one of my 2024 resolution experiment was in place.  I resolve to not worry so much about all the other stuff and to seek first God.  Great.  And how am I to do that?  I mean, I thought that was exactly what I had been doing already.  I was praying, reading the Bible, doing devotionals, serving whenever I had a chance, trying to find the ministry God was calling me into.  I was doing all the right things.  It took another verse to remind me, yet again, that doing and seeking are two very different verbs.  After all Jesus said “seek and you will find” not “do and you will find”.  Then, as often happens in these moments of wanting some clarification from God, a verse popped out of my devotional.  Job 22:21 says, “Now acquaint yourself with Him, and be at peace; Thereby good will come to you.” (NKJV)  In other words, spend some time getting quiet and peaceful with God, so you can get to know Him and to submit to Him, and then good things are going to happen.

Seeking something doesn’t mean running around and doing – it means drawing closer and finding.

We keep on trying to work when God tells us that He is a God of light burdens and rest.  I realized that the next step in my resolution is to prioritize the quiet time of getting to know God rather than the checklist of all of the things that Christians ought to be doing.  Does it include scripture reading?  Yes because that is how God chose to reveal Himself to us.  Does it include prayer?  Yes because that is how we directly communicate with Him.  But the focus of prayer and scripture needs to be on quietly learning about Him, drawing closer to Him, and submitting to Him, not just checking to-do items off of my piety list.  Ouch.  Point taken, God.  Lesson in this step?  Seeking something doesn’t mean running around and doing – it means drawing closer and finding.

They aren’t going to see God in me, unless I bring God with me in all I do. 

Next, God also realizes that I live in the world and I have things that I have to do.  He doesn’t say, “Just squirrel away in your recliner and contemplate Me all day long.”  He says to get up from my time with Him and carry Him out into the world:  “He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.’” (Mark 16:15 NIV)  Yes – and then the pressure kicks in again.  Go and do – go and do.  But what if Jesus is not saying that at all?  What if Jesus is saying to stay with Him emotionally, mentally, and spiritually, even as we go out physically into the world?  Wouldn’t that be an effective form of preaching!  Talk about opening doors for conversations with people!  People are seeking peace with God.  They aren’t going to see God in me, unless I bring God with me in all I do.  Next step – live always at the feet of Jesus.

It seems so hard to always be seeking God first in a world that demands so many things of me. 

The final piece of my resolution puzzle is figuring out how one actually does that.  I mean, I try to keep my eyes on Jesus and a prayer to God on my lips, but like resolutions and January 8, it doesn’t take all that long for my focus to disappear.  I was beginning to feel that little bit of failure and disappointment creeping in.  I don’t even have enough will power to keep God on my mind.  It seems so hard to always be seeking God first in a world that demands so many things of me.  But God had an answer to that, too.  It came as I was listening to Dr. Alison Cook in her podcast, “The Best of You”.  She mentioned a technique she had learned called “Comma God”.  She was using it to get through tough emotions, but I think it has such a wider scope than that.  I think it is a perfect way to seek God first.

You can turn a self-defeating thought into an honest, healing moment with Jesus.

Here is the idea behind it.  As you go through your day, you have all kinds of thoughts pop up.  “I am so tired of being overweight.”  “I am worried that I am not going to have enough money this month.”  “Why do I get so angry at people who cut me off in traffic?”  Those thoughts alone beat us down and make us feel hopeless and less than.  But Comma God is a great way to turn all of that around.  When you think, “I am tired of being overweight”, add “, God” to the end.  “I am tired of being overweight, God.”  And then you have immediately started a conversation with Him and sought Him first.  You then add, “Please help me to honor the body you gave me with my food choices.”  You have sought Him first, and given the problem to Him.  He can then give you what you need and start making something good out of it, just like the first two scriptures promised us.  You have turned a self-defeating thought into an honest, healing moment with Jesus.

It has already paid benefits greater than weight loss or more money. 

I have started trying this.  I actually love it.  Sometimes I just add the Comma God at the end and let it go.  Sometimes I add a short prayer afterwards.  I can tell you that it has already paid benefits greater than weight loss or more money.  I feel closer to God.  I am no longer trying to hide anything from Him.  I don’t feel so alone.  He is always there and listening because He is the God who hears.  And I am reassured because God is a good Father.  He is not going to give me rocks or a snake when I am hungry and ask for food (Matthew 7:9-11).  He has plans not to hurt me but to give me hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11).  I haven’t lost weight yet or started exercising every day.  But I am more conscious of what I am eating and I am adding a little more movement to my day.  I can actually do that now because I am not the one that has to have the will power.  God is my accountability partner now.  I let Him in – I seek Him – and He provides all I need. 

Here’s to a year of seeking and finding!

I am making a resolution this year.  It is to seek God first by drawing near to Him, learning from Him, and taking Him with me.  I am starting my morning prayer and Bible time by visualizing drawing close to God and asking Him to reveal Himself and His will to me as I pray and read.  The focus is on Him, not on “how much”.  Then, I am noting the things I am learning about God as I read.  I am praying gratitude and worship to God about those attributes.  It could be as simple as saying, “Thank you, God, for being a God who hears.”  I also submit to Him my concerns for my day and for others.  Then, when I get up to go about my life in this world, I remember “Comma God” when I can.  It keeps me walking with Him all day.  I invite you to try this experiment too.  I would love to see if it transforms your walk with God.  I will let you know what it does for my relationship with Him.  Here’s to a year of seeking and finding!

I hope today’s message touched your heart, increased your understanding, and encouraged you.  Praying the peace and comfort of Christ Jesus on your life.