Others-Focused New Year’s Resolutions

Happy New Year! Just like that, we are living in the year 2020!

One of the blessings that we experience in the Christian life is the awareness of the need for change. This is typically the result of the grace of God through the Holy Spirit’s work in our hearts. We become mindful of the areas in our lives that may not be pleasing to God. We realize that there are certain proclivities (natural or habitual tendencies) that seem to have taken over our lives.

Perhaps we become conscious of a certain sin that we struggle with on a daily basis. Or maybe we become convicted that we aren’t taking good care of ourselves (hence the busy gyms in January and the longer lines at the Vitamin Shoppe). Regardless of whether it’s physical, spiritual, or emotional in nature, the Lord often prompts us to strive, by His Spirit, for godliness and change.

Why Make New Year’s Resolutions?

The end of the year is really a good time to evaluate ourselves. It’s a time to inspect ourselves, checking in to see how well we have lived our lives over the course of the previous year. This is something that mankind does naturally, which is why it’s not only those who are united to Christ who make New Year’s resolutions and who desire to see change in their lives.

Anybody who is made in the image of God is able to sense that something is not right, that things are not what they should be. And so resolutions, in and of themselves, are not bad. Goals are made because we all long to see positive change in our lives. We all know that eating better and exercising are truly good for us, and that’s why wellness is on nearly everybody’s list of resolutions (at least for a day or so).

Related Article: 5 Free Bible Reading Plans for the New Year – 2019

So before moving on to the main point of this post, let me affirm the goodness of making goals and resolutions that lead to your wellness! By all means, strive for a better version of you. But please remember to do so with this as your primary, overarching, all-important goal: the glory of God!

Before you dot your i’s and cross your t’s to the items on your resolution list (if you have one, that is), I want to encourage you to add something that often misses out on these lists. That item is: others-focused resolutions! I know it sounds crazy at first, but please hang in there with me.

Though it is good and proper to take time to reflect and evaluate yourself this time of year (as well as throughout the year), we should also be wary of becoming overly-focused on ourselves. After all, Christians are followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, who “came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).

As we consider the humility of Jesus, we should always be seeking to more faithfully follow His example. I would even encourage you to commit Philippians 2:3-5 to memory:

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.

How different do you think our churches, workplaces, communities, etc. would look if we took time to resolve to be more humble, servant-hearted people? What if we decided to make a resolution to be more concerned with others’ interests than our own? What if we sought to consider others as more important than ourselves?

Related Article: Striving for Humility

Suggestions for Others-Focused New Year’s Resolutions

• Show your spouse that you love them through creative and different ways.
• Leave that nice, open parking spot that is close to the store for somebody else. Park a little further away. (Note: This covers your exercise resolution as well since you’ll have to walk just a little further!).
• Be more financially generous to others. For instance, if you typically tip your restaurant server 15-18%, jump up to 20-25%. Or give more to your church and other local ministries.
• Instead of looking for compliments from others, be focused on giving compliments to others.
• Hospitality! Make a resolution to invite people over to your home more often.
• CAUTION: You won’t like this one. Put your phone down when you’re eating a meal or hanging out with somebody. Give them your full attention and show them that you care about them.
• If you’re a parent, choose to spend time with your kids when you could be doing something else.
• Attempt to talk more to your neighbors.
• Call your grandparents or other elderly relative or church member to let them know that you are thinking of them.

Those may sound like some strange resolutions, but I think they are the kind of resolutions that set Christians apart from all others. These are the kind of resolutions that show the world that Jesus is our Lord and our greatest joy! These resolutions are vastly different than most others because they take the focus off of us and place it onto loving others. So although we shouldn’t throw out the resolutions that focus on ourselves and our well-being, we should certainly add some others-focused resolutions to our lists this year!

Additional Resources

• 70 Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards, the great 18th century pastor/theologian. This list will show you how to incorporate God and His glory in everything that you resolve to do in life. Highly Recommend!
• Marriage Goals (And Why You Need Them)
• 5 Free Bible Reading Plans for the New Year
• Striving for Humility

Original post published: January 1, 2019 | Updated: January 1, 2020