Resolutions of the Righteous

Best estimates tell us that nearly 40% of the population engages in the annual practice of setting New Year’s Resolutions. Those same statistics tell us that fewer than 8% of people actually fulfill their resolutions and that the majority have failed by the time February rolls around. There a number of reasons people make – and fail – their personal goals. Despite the high rate of failure, many of us recognize the importance of setting goals because we understand that “if you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time.” The setting of and striving towards certain goals is a critical part of personal development and professional achievement.

When applied to personal sanctification, however, this old maxim still rings true. Godliness doesn’t just happen—you must be proactive in pursuing it. That is why we are given commands throughout Scripture towards that end. At the end of the day, there is a single resolution that matters before the Lord and it has to do with selecting the pathway your life will follow. For those reading this article who know and fear God, we know that righteousness is required from all of God’s people. With that in mind, as we look towards setting our priorities for the new year, how do we, as people who desire godliness, plan for righteousness? To help us answer that question let’s take a look at Psalm 1.

How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers.