When we think about New Year’s resolutions, we usually reflect upon what is most important to us, what we desperately want to achieve, or what we have spent the most time obsessing over in the past year. If you have yet to make your own resolution, take a moment right now and try to answer those three questions.
Now, let’s analyze our answers. How does God factor into your most fervent wants and desires for the new year? Although weight loss and healthier life habits, even better finances or a new job, all strengthen us as members of society, what resolutions help us grow as citizens of God’s kingdom? If our resolutions focus on earthly, material goals, how can we add in a few spiritual goals that might be of more benefit to us along our journey of faith? What if we set a resolution to try getting to know God, to seek answers, to look deeper into our faith?
I recently finished an amazing novel, “If I Were You” by Lynn Austin, based on two young women of opposite social classes surviving World War II in London.
Throughout the book the author depicts how the victories and horrors of the war create an ebb and flow in the religious faith of each character. The fiance of one of the women expressed that all his life religion had been more of a formality – church on Sunday and special occasions, with no deeper understanding or personal connection. Yet, finding himself in the midst of the strife of war, he truly wanted to know and understand God on a deeper level. He went on to reflect upon the parable of the rich young man from Matthew 19. Through the character’s dialogue, Austin takes the reader’s focus away from the stark totality of this parable and replaces it with something more tangible that might help us in making our own resolutions in this new year.
Most of us know the parable of the rich young man who comes to Jesus and asks what he must do to attain eternal life. After answering in the affirmative to faithfully following the commandments, Jesus tells the young man to go sell all he has and follow him.
The character in Austin’s book muses that Jesus specifically told the man to sell all he owns, not necessarily to just give it away. This actually involves a greater mentality. In order to sell something you own, you must first take stock of it. Rather than simply giving up his assets, the young man was asked by Jesus to use what he had for a greater purpose. Thus, the young man could use his greatest talents and gifts, those worth the most in value, to serve Christ and achieve the ultimate goal of building the kingdom of God.
If taken literally, this parable seems too difficult a mountain to climb. If we give up everything, where would we sleep? What would our children eat? What would we wear? Yet, when given a little wiggle room, taking stock of our most valuable assets that can be used for Christ seems a bit more doable.
Before making our resolutions this year, could we first take stock of what we have: our talents, gifts and blessings? Then we can shape our resolutions around using what we have been given for God instead of shaping them around what we want more of. This strategy frees us up from falling prey to the fears, greed or jealousy that may feed our current desires and refocuses our eyes on a new path, one that is more pure and selfless. It allows us to center our days around God, not forgetting who He is or what He has given us. It allows us to focus on His love for us.
Remember the Israelites of old, the people God wanted for Himself. Before the exodus, the sons of Israel had been living in a foreign land with other gods for so long that they had forgotten who God was. Their immersion in a pagan society had rubbed off on them. But what about us? In our rat race to keep up with what’s trending and what everyone else in society is doing, have we lost sight of God? Have we lost sight of Christ?
It may take stepping out of the circle to find where He is, to take the steps needed toward a different path than the rest of society seems to be on. Remember: “Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many” (Mt 7:13).
In forming your New Year’s resolutions, also remember to take stock of what is everlasting in Christ: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (Mt 24:35).
In 2022, let us find a new hope, a new path, a new resolution that will lead us to a new resurrection of Christ in our heart and soul.
April Parker is a member of St. Pius X Church in Greensboro, as well as a teacher and curriculum director at St. Pius X School.