What are you New Year's Resolutions?

2008 has passed, 2009 has come. I believe that most of us have made a new resolution for this year. I want to ask you something, "what are your new year's resolutions?"

• I will study harder so that I can have a better opportunity in finding job
• I will find a good job so that I can supply myself
• I will work more diligently so that I will get a raise
• I will become rich so that I can buy whatever I want
• I will buy a new car so that I can show it to my friends
• I will go on vacation so that I can enjoy myself

Are those resolutions written in your paper? That's good, my friends. Nothing wrong with that, most of the people in the world do the same thing. That's just normal and it means that you are ambitious, you want changes, and you want to improve more and more, and you are worldly.

But can I ask you something? Did you make the same resolutions last year? How many of them were fulfilled? Did you still keep focusing on them after one month? Maybe you have committed to lose 10 kg weight, to do more sport, to improve more, you tried and tried until you got tired; in the end, resolutions for one year just applied for one month or even one week. Then you just came back to your old habits. Nothing improved.

"Okay" you said, "I will improve this year". Some of you are now more optimistic and you make other resolutions. You specifically wrote that you will improve in matter of A, B and C. "The things that failed me last year must succeed this year, nothing can stand against me" you said. "If last years I failed to save $10000, so this year I have to save $20000 to re-compensate last year stagnancy and this year target". What an ambitious man you are.

My friends, I just have one advice for you. Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins (James 4:13-17).

So, instead of boasting every New Year and not be able to cope with it. You better learn how not to focus on yourself. "I will..." "I will..." It is not all about you, it is all about Him, It is all about Jesus Christ. You must be selfless, not selfish. Bible said "He must increase, but I must decrease (John 3:30)."

My friends, Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity (Collosians 3:1-17).

Please, my friends. Start focusing on things above. Commit yourself to be more like Jesus and put to death whatever belongs to your earthly nature, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience as your resolutions for your daily walk in Christian life started from today. It is for your own good. You should start to be rich toward God.

Jesus told this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.' "Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." "But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?' "This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God (Luke 12:16-21)."

Imagine if this situation happened to you. Would it not be so stupid, my friends? So, you better make resolution "What God wants from me to do?" "What God wants from me to improve?" ""Do I already like Jesus?" "Can people see Jesus in me?" etc. Be more like Jesus. God bless you.