Can you believe that another year has passed us by? So here it is, 2012, and from what I’ve read and heard on the news, most Americans are looking forward to a New Year that will be better than the last. I pray that will be the case for everyone, everywhere.

With every New Year, comes the tradition of making resolutions. But sociologists report that barely one in three of us make them. Why? Because almost without exception, resolutions only succeed in casting a grey cloud over the year ahead. Midnight strikes, and we vow to lose twenty pounds, or give up chocolate, or get up earlier, only to realize that a whole year of “doing without” stretches in front of us. Resolutions seem to push the limits of our abilities, testing the strength of our self-denial.

So I’d like to present a new thought. What if we looked at the New Year as a sea of possibilities, rather than as an ocean of responsibilities? What if we resolved to be more of what we can be, instead of resolving to be less of what we already are?

Throughout our scriptures, God has promised us many blessings. And I believe it is those blessings on which we should concentrate. A life of abundance is a divine promise. A life of abundance is God's resolution for all of God's beloved.

So what if Christians were to celebrate the New Year by letting God make the resolutions, both about our pasts and our futures? With regard to our pasts, God resolves to forgive our sins, blot out our transgressions, and help us embrace the memory of the past, with gratitude and grace.

Regarding our futures, God resolves to provide a “lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our paths.” God resolves to give us the direction and diligence, and the courage and caution we need, to move forward, with faith and with foresight.

So with this New Year ahead of us, let us not be concerned with making resolutions that will only bring a dimness to our hearts. Rather, let us go merrily into the New Year, because God resolves to go with us. If you don't believe me, just ask God directly!

In Christ’s Love,