Resolutions

This time of year many people will lay out a new set of resolutions, covenants, and goals. We use the new year as an opportunity for a new beginning. We look back over the past year and tell ourselves we will not make those same mistakes again. We commit to quit smoking, exercise more, or to stay more focused. We promise to love more and hate less. Mark Twain said about resolutions: “Now is the time to make your annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual.”.” The point is no matter how many promises we make for another chance, another opportunity, another time we still fail. As long as we think disobedience is the issue we will continue to be careless with our lives. Disobedience is the symptom to a bigger problem.
Many of us will come to a place in our life and we recognize that we have made an idol out of this drug, alcohol, relationship, technology and we vow to change. We recognize our disobedience and make a promise never to do it again. We say we will never fall victim to that idol again. We will try harder next time. We will focus more intently. We will change.
Disobedience is the symptom to a bigger problem. It is impossible to change our ways without an inner change. Idolatry is a heart issue. The heart is the seat of idolatry. That was Israel’s problem. It was’t the disobedience that God was upset about. It was the idolatry. Idolatry leads to disobedience. Idolatry is a lack of trust in God. We turn to these other things or people to satisfy us when only God can satisfy. When we allow our heart to cling to something or someone other than God than we say to God you are not what I need. We were made for God so when we rely on something or someone else for ultimate security it is sin.
We can try to change our behavior but we cannot change our heart. Only God can give us a new heart. If idolatry is our problem and it is a problem for everybody, God has to intervene. The Israelites tried hard to change their behavior and then they would fall back into sin. God sent the Israelites a prophet who promised: “I will give them a new heart, and put a new spirit within them; I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 11: 19). We need a heart transplant and that is what God has come to give us in Jesus Christ.