What Do You See for 2023?

Greetings

I know it’s cliche and corny to make New Year Resolutions. Usually, I avoid sermon topics like the one we have tonight. Here’s another that I absolutely hate: “New Year, New You” I hate it as much as I hate watch night services. Don’t turn me off yet, I know you have your service planned and you’re gonna have some good ol’ church. And that’s great for you and those in your congregations who actually want to be there.

But chances are, most people who show up will show up out of guilt or obligation. Let’s be honest. You’re planning a watch night service because of tradition — a tradition that most of your congregants under the age of 50 don’t even understand. Now, I could be wrong, so if I’m misinformed, kindly educate me in the chat, what makes watch night service a holy night for today’s church.

Honestly though, that’s not what I’m here to talk about tonight. What I want to talk about are your new year resolutions. That’s right. I forgot. You don’t have new year resolutions. Or do you? If you’ve already said, “I’m not taking that with me into the new year”, or if you’ve said, “I can’t wait till this year is over,” or if you’ve declared a fitness plan, or the cessation or genesis of anything in your life, then you have made a new year resolution.

You might use religious terminology, or a secular synonym but no matter what nomenclature you put on it, if you have expressed a desire to do or be something or someone different than who you are today, you have made a new year resolution. Simply put, your new year resolution is a plan to get you from where you currently are in life, to a new destination. That could be a new physical, mental, social, professional, and even spiritual destination.

Whatever it is, it is a plan to get you to a desired destination. Now that we’ve established that, let me help you with some advice on how to make your new year resolution stick.

Understand that it is discipline, not desire that gets you to your destination. If you want to be an athlete in college or pro, you’re going to have to train your mind and body even when your mind and body doesn’t feel like training. If you want higher education, you’ll need to read and study when you don’t feel like it. If you want to do anything greater next year than you did this year, you need to establish habits of discipline to reach your goal. Again, discipline, not desire, is what it takes to get you to your destination.

You need a plan. I hope you are sick of hearing me say this, but in case you aren’t, let me say it now. Those who fail to plan, plan to fail. No one becomes great by accident. I don’t care how humble they are, every great name in history had some level of ambition, a desire to achieve, and a problem they planned to solve that got their name written in the history books. You can try winging it if you want to, but don’t get mad at the world when, at the end of your life, no one knows your name.

You should also know that no one has ever achieved greatness alone. Which brings us to number 3.

You need a team. You need people in your corner who will hold you accountable to your plan. You need people who can speak to you honestly and tell you when you’re drifting and call you out on your excuses. I’m talking about people who know excuses are crutches for the uncommitted and people who are not okay with you giving up on yourself. You need a team who enables you to get it done.

And that might mean changing your circle, for real. If you want to quit gossiping, you’re gonna have to stop hanging around the folks you used to gossip with. It’s the same with drugs and alcohol. You can’t hang out at the bar and go clubbing when you know everything you struggle with is easily available there.

Make it difficult to go back. How do I do that? Make it public. If you plan to lose weight, post your workout journey online. Journal your diet on your social media page and don’t clap back when someone calls you out on that cake when you claimed you were staying away from carbs and sugar.

Pastor, are you saying that I should give people permission to shame me for making mistakes? I’m glad you asked that question because here’s the fifth thing you need to know.

There’s a difference between mistakes and poor decisions that derail your progress toward your destination. Mistakes are when you do the wrong thing based off the current information you have, but poor decisions happen when you know what’s right and still, you do the opposite. In fact, James, the brother of Jesus wrote James 4:17

James 4:17 NIV

17 If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.

That means, it doesn’t matter if anyone knows, or saw it, or called it out, or ignored it. You know that good you ought to do and if you don’t do it, it is sin for you. What I’m encouraging you to do is to allow others permission to call it out so that you don’t go back to the thing you have decided to no longer be.

Maybe this will help. Pro 26:11

Proverbs 26:11 NIV

11 As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly.

Wisdom argues that we should think of returning to our old ways as disgusting. Make it gross to go back. Make it embarrassing to make so much progress and turn back. Let me help.

That guy who was beating on you is vomit. Don’t go back to him. That girl who was cheating on you. She’s vomit. Don’t go back. Your gossiping friend. Vomit. You’re drunk and doped up homies, vomit.

Listen friend, God wants more for you and he’s wanted more for you before 2023. His plans for you includes a successful end. And in that end, you won’t find vomit. Turn away from the foolish decisions. In fact, it’s those foolish decisions that got you into the places you don’t want to be. The best way to avoid mistakes are to make informed decisions. That means getting around people and reading material that will help you decide on a plan that gets you to your destination. Then, you need the discipline to stick it out and a team to help you on your way.

I pray much success for you this year. I pray that your goals and dreams are aligned with God’s plan for your life. I believe that is where you will find the best success. If you don’t know God’s plan for your life, I encourage you to get in his word and start praying that God reveals it to you. It’s a good thing to ask for and I believe he will listen and respond to a prayer like that. He always has for me. And I know he will for you. Thanks for joining us tonight. Be blessed and have a happy New Year.