Good News for a New Year
What’s compelling our resolutions?
When we look ahead to our future its only natural to consider how it can be better than what lies behind. How can we live better, think better and be better? What are we dissatisfied with in our life and how can we improve? Then we construct goals and strategies and form resolutions to pursue them.
Pride and Shame
But you don’t have to be on this road long before you begin to find this is a rocky, up-and-down climb. We feel good and proud when we’re gaining ground. And inevitably we feel disappointed and ashamed when we stumble and fall. We feel proud of ourselves when we lose weight and ashamed when we put it back on. We feel proud of ourselves when we keep up with our reading plan and ashamed when we fall behind. Over and over it goes, in big ways and small ways—pride to shame and shame back to pride.
But what if this didn’t need to be exactly how it worked? What if there was one—just one—thing that provided a very different way forward?
Where Does it Start?
It starts right at the beginning. The beginning of a resolution is going to be its reason for pursuing it, its motive. And the foundation of that motive is going to be a belief. In our example above what was that belief? It was that we are deficient as we are and could and should be better. This was the belief we were functionally starting with. And it was this belief that informed, motivated and compelled that cycle of pride and shame.
Can We Imagine It?
So, if there is going to be an alternative it has to start there. It has to set a different foundation and a different course right from the beginning. There has to be a different belief compelling us. But how? What could actually motivate us that isn’t wrapped up with a desire to do, have and be more? It’s hard to imagine. Even doing nice things for others tends to be motivated by what we’ll get in return and how it will make us feel about ourselves. What could compel us forward if it isn’t to gain pride in ourselves and avoid being ashamed?
Well, a different motivation isn’t only hard to imagine, it’s impossible to imagine until something foundational changes. What you ask? It has to be that first belief.
There’s Only One
This is where there is one, glorious alternative. There’s only one. It is radically different and it has the power to change the very heart of our motives and actions. It tells us that our value and meaning doesn’t need to be based upon what we’ve done or haven’t done, have or don’t have, are capable of or not. But instead our value and meaning can be totally and completely secured at the highest possible level once and for all. It tells us that our goals and strategies no longer need to be based on and compelled by how to feel more proud and less ashamed of ourselves. Why? Because something has happened that has guaranteed that we are and will forever be perfectly loved, forgiven, good, blameless and pleasing. This belief tells us that we’re not at the bottom of the mountain road trying to scramble and scrape and strategize our way up, but that we’ve already been lifted to the top.
What is it Based On?
Where does this belief come from? What is it based on? It’s based on a baby born in Bethlehem. It’s based on the amazing, good news that Jesus Christ was and is the Son of God who lived, died and was raised from the dead for us. It says that if we trust and call on him and what he’s done for us we share in everything that he’s done, everything he is and everything he has (Rom 8:14,17). And since he is the perfect, risen, beloved Son and heir of God, Lord of all things, then we share in every good thing imaginable.
What Makes Sense Then?
So, if this is true, what does it make sense for us to do? What do we do if we’re already at the top of the mountain? Do we worry about how to climb the mountain and prove ourselves? Do we strategize about how to scrape and scramble up the mountain road to avoid the shame of being at the bottom? Well, that wouldn’t make much sense! We’re already at the top. Instead of fear and anxiety and shame we can be filled joy and gratitude. We can celebrate and breathe a sigh of relief. Instead of worrying about ourselves and where we stand and how we compare to others we can look out and marvel at the goodness of God and his work. We can be generous and help others, not to get something from them in return, but because we are full to overflowing with love, forgiveness, acceptance and security.
New Resolutions
Our resolutions for the future can come from the belief that we are already at the top, already accepted and pleasing to God himself, seated with him in heavenly places and our future already safe and secure and filled with God’s kindness and favour (Eph 2:6-7). We can resolve to rest more and breathe more and wonder more. We can resolve to trust in the accomplishments of Jesus rather than our own. We can resolve to celebrate more and give thanks more. We can resolve to marinate in the glory of Jesus rather than try to earn our own (Heb 12:2, Col 3:1). We can resolve to share more and be generous more, because what we have in Christ never wavers or diminishes. It’s always and forever full. We’re at the top of the mountain and nothing can take that away (1 Pt 1:4). What compels us now? It’s Christ’s love for us and nothing can separate us from it (Rom 8:38-39). The love of Christ compels us (2 Cor 5:14). It’s the belief that he loved us and died for us, once for all, and so everything that is his has become ours— his life, death, resurrection, ascension and glory. This is the way forward for us now—so we can live not for ourselves and our pride and our fear of shame, but for Christ Jesus—who lived and died and shared everything with us forever.
What Compels Us?
As we look to the future ahead of us, not knowing how many hours or days we may have here in this world, let’s consider our resolutions. Let’s ask why am I resolving toward this? What’s compelling me? What belief is motivating me? And if it’s anything other than Christ’s love and finished work for us let’s dive into amazing, refreshing, compelling repentance. Because that’s what repentance is, changing our mind about what we’re believing. And, by the grace of God, the fruit of it is a new belief compelling a new sort of living.
Compelled to Share
The news about Jesus is so unique, powerful and life-changing that as we believe it it provides all kinds of opportunities to introduce it to others. Every other belief, system, mindset, worldview leaves us to climb that mountain of value and meaning by ourselves and leads us back to that never-ending cycle of pride and shame. Only the good news of God’s grace in the person and work of Jesus Christ truly provides freedom from pride and shame and supplies us with true, abiding peace, love, patience, gentleness, faithfulness, goodness, self-control and joy.
So, let’s consider how we might answer if we’re asked about our resolutions and goals for this year. Start the conversation. Ask others about theirs. And let the contrast of our amazing hope in Jesus shine clearly. But not so we can prove ourselves, be proud of ourselves and avoid feeling ashamed. We don’t have to evangelize to be loved, accepted and pleasing. We don’t share with others the good news of Jesus in order to gain ground and climb further up that mountain. We share with others the news about him as we celebrate and give thanks for having been raised up with him.
If Christ’s love and finished work for us compels us to rest more, give thanks more, breathe more deeply, marvel at creation, sing more, hug more, dance more, exercise our bodies more, appreciate food more, share our possessions more, pray more, feed on his Word more or smile more let’s share that with others. Let’s tell the truth about Jesus as we enjoy and rest in the awesomeness of his work and care for us. Let Christ’s love for you compel you to tell others, not only what you resolve, but what compels you this year!
For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
2 Corinthians 5:14-15
And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Colossians 3:14-17
About the Author
Scott Hunt is the leader of our Bold Witnesses Priority and Communications Director for ANiC. He lives in Southern Ontario with his wife, Richelle, and is a member of St. George’s Burlington.