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A New Resolution?
Micah 6:8
“HE hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”
Resolutions are more like personal goals. They are objectives that we all hope to achieve in the coming year. Often, they are man-centered resolutions meant to compensate for our weaknesses: I’ve gained too much weight, so I will resolve to go to the gym and diet. I’ve wasted too much time, so I will read or spend more time with my family. I’ve gone into debt, so I resolve to be wise with my money and save what I can to get ahead.
A little-known fact for you: this tradition of New Year’s resolutions has its roots in ancient Babylon. 4,000 years ago in Mesopotamia, life revolved around agriculture. The calendar started in March/April when the crops started to grow. This symbolized a new beginning and was paired with the Babylonian Akitu Festival. The citizens would make promises to the gods for the new year and use this as a moment to pay back debts and return borrowed tools, supplies, and equipment. If they kept their word, their pagan gods would bestow favor on them for the coming year. If not, they would fall out of the gods’ favor – a place no one wants to be.
When Julius Caesar came into power, he established January 1st as the New Year because of the Roman god Janus, the two-faced god whose spirit inhabited doorways and arches. They believed he symbolically looked backward into the previous year and ahead into the future. Romans would offer sacrifices to the deity and make promises of good conduct.
In 1740, John Wesley turned it into a Covenant Renewal Service, holding a service at night where they read Scripture, sang hymns, and reflected on the past year, making resolutions. Calvin Jewett made such resolutions on December 29, 1841, mainly dealing with his religious faith and furthering his devotion to God. These “New Covenants” were the Methodist way of making new covenants to God at the turn of the year.
But should we make “New Year’s Resolutions” given their roots? Or maybe just Scripture alone, given that God is not asking for reformation but obedience to HIM? We know what we need to do, and Micah 6:8 demonstrates that man is not ignorant of what God desires – “HE hath shewed thee, O man, what is good…”
I am a firm believer in keeping it simple. That is what God has done for us here. God gives us three characteristics that please HIM that all of us can work on.
- Do justly
- Love mercy
- Walk humbly with God
Let that be your focus in this coming year!