One of the reasons we love to celebrate the turning of the new year is the promise of a fresh start. We can look forward with hope that in this next year we will somehow, maybe be a better version of our self.

The problem (as anyone who has ever promised to lose weight, exercise more, or quit doing _________ can tell you) is that we are habitual promise breakers.

Sure, it is possible to gin up enough willpower to stop/start doing what we want for a time. Sometimes, we might even develop enough of a rhythm to meet our goal. There is no shortage of internet leadership gurus out hawking programs to help you fulfill all the promises you are making to yourself.

But, no matter how many books they sell or how great their programs may be, there is no self-help solution powerful enough to help us overcome our fundamental promise-breaking nature.

The Real Promise Keeper

The harsh reality is no matter how hard I try, I can’t follow the rules. Not all of them. I can fake it for a while, but my nature ultimately catches up with me. Since the Garden and the entrance of sin and brokenness, we have suffered under the weight of broken promises.

Sadly, even the church has not offered us much relief at times.

Do better.

Try harder.

Jesus is worth it.

While true, all statements like these do is compound the guilt and grief we experience when our best-laid plans go to waste.

Thankfully we are not left without hope. While we may be natural promise breakers there is a Promise Keeper. Jesus is the only one who can perfectly keep his resolutions. In fact, if I wasn’t a promise breaker, there would be no reason for him to come and die in my place. He is faithful when I am faithless. This is the promise of the Gospel.

Rethinking Resolutions

Despite all this, I don’t think leveraging the New Year to make some changes is a bad thing. I set a list of goals to pursue throughout the year too. The difference is when I inevitably miss the mark, I am able to fend off the sense of failure by reminding myself that there is one who is made perfect in my weakness.

Our predisposition towards failure should be more liberating than crippling. I am free to go for it. To try something new, to work hard and push myself – knowing that my success or failure doesn’t affect the Lord’s pleasure with me.

I don’t try to keep my promises to get the Lord to love me. I have his love already. I try to keep my promises out of gratitude for what He has done for me. And, if I am able to make progress towards my goals it means I will ultimately be a better husband, father, friend, and leader.

So here is to a condemnation-free 2018. If you are in Christ, you already have his perfect love, regardless of whether or not you perfectly keep your New Year’s promises.