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What Can Job Teach Us About New Year’s Resolutions?
“Yet if you devote your heart to Him and stretch out your hands to Him, if you put away the sin that is in your hand and allow no evil to dwell in your tent, then, free of fault, you will lift up your face; you will stand firm and without fear. You will surely forget your trouble, recalling it only as waters gone by (Job 11:13-16 NIV).
The Book of Job is a 42-chapter book in the Bible that explores the theme of unmerited suffering and how to trust in God during difficult times. The book is named after its main character, Job, who is the subject of a wager between God and Satan about how much he can suffer while remaining loyal to God.
I can imagine that some are approaching this new year with concerns for their health and their family, maybe fear about the economy while on a fixed income, or political unrest both at home and abroad, or any number of topics.
Job’s Suffering and the Role of His Friends
During Job’s continuing suffering, his friends….. (after falsely accusing him of committing some sort of evil) eventually tell him how to get rid of painful memories and move on with his life.
Job’s friends said to him, “Put your heart right, Job. Reach out to God . . . Then face the world again, firm and courageous. Then all your troubles will fade from your memory, like floods that are past and remembered no more.”
The Power of a Resolution
A resolution is really an intentional decision to take action. Job was facing tremendous adversity in his life ….. the loss of his family and fortune, but he made a resolution to remain faithful to God. And God honored that resolution. All of our resolutions would benefit from such faith.
I think it is important to note that God is offering us a different way of thinking in how we view our adversity and how we make resolutions to address it. God is teaching us to (1) put our heart right, (2) He is also giving us a plan on how to do this, and finally….. (3) He is telling us the blessing that awaits on the other side.
“Put Your Heart Right”
What Does This Mean?
A key phrase of our reading today from Job is to “put your heart right.” So, what does that mean and what does that actually look like in practice?
The Pathway to a Right Heart
The pathway to get OUR heart right, is to reach out to God and invite Jesus into every room in the house of our heart. Psalm 51:10 reads, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”
When our hearts are clean, they are aligned with God’s Heart and we both are seeking the same things for my life. This is important because the best resolutions are made when we have a clean heart and a right spirit.
When to Make a Resolution
A resolution can be made at any time of the year but should be done AFTER “getting our heart right” and with our eyes on a promised future of glory and not by a past history of hurt and anger.
A good resolution is a faith-based prayer. We use the prophetic perfect tense in which we thank God in advance for answering our prayer and knowing that the answer will come at His perfect time and in His perfect way.
A resolution is a manifestation of the things that we hold dear in our hearts. The Word of God teaches us in Matthew 6:21, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” One way to examine our heart is to ask ourselves …….. where am I storing my treasure?
A Call to Self-Assessment
I believe that the best resolutions begin with an honest self-assessment that begins with prayer and an invitation to the Holy Spirit to help us in our discernment process of what is God calling each of us to do.
So, with that in mind, as we consider any resolution for the new year, I encourage you to join me in doing your own honest self-assessment of what is God calling you to do. Do so privately, prayerfully, and honestly. This is my call to action today for all of us.
Confession, Repentance, and Grace
Our self-assessment needs to include asking the Holy Spirit to reveal to us our sin so that we can confess, repent and receive His grace. God will not hear the resolutions of our mouths if unrepentant sin is present in our hearts. Isaiah 59:2 teaches, “Your wrongs have separated you from your God, and your sins have made him hide his face so that he doesn’t hear you.”
Don’t Confuse Santa and God
Christmas is over and Santa has gone home to watch football. So, let’s don’t confuse Santa and God. We ask Santa for the things we want, but we prayerfully listen for the Spirit to tell us what God is calling us to do. If God is calling us to do it, then He will equip us and even part the sea for us to get there.
My Daily Resolution
As for me, my resolution on each new year is the same resolution on each day of the year. It has remained the same since I was a pilgrim on the Walk to Emmaus many years ago. My daily resolution is …. I want to see more of Jesus in me and less of me in me.
God’s Promise for Our Resolutions
Whatever your resolution is today or any day, I pray that it allows you to claim God’s promise to Job and also to each of us today – “all your troubles will fade from your memory, like floods that are past and remembered no more.”
Be blessed as you bless others. Happy New Year to all!
Prayer
Prayer: Dear God, Thank you for the blessing of a new year. Pour out Your Holy Spirit upon us to lead us in making resolutions that bring honor and glory to You. Amen.
Meet the Author
Todd Shupe is a Certified Lay Minister and Men’s Ministry Specialist through Francis Asbury Methodist Church in Baton Rouge, LA. He is a Board Member for Gulf South Men, an Action Team member for The Kingdom Group, and a Board Member for the Lagniappe Country Walk to Emmaus. Todd is a contributor to Project XII and Baton Rouge Parents Magazine. He is a Past President of the Baton Rouge District of United Methodist Men and remains active in this and many other local, regional, and international ministries. Additionally, he’s the author of the inspiring book “Fathering A Special Needs Child.” Todd also enjoys filling the pulpit to share the Good News of our Lord and Savior. Todd is the proud father of Emma and Kyle and resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
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