I think that New Year’s resolutions are pretty much worthless! Don’t get me wrong- I like the idea of resolutions. It’s the actual accomplishing of the resolutions that I think is pretty worthless. Most people start a New Year’s resolution knowing they’re not going to fulfill it. It always makes me wonder why make the resolution in the first place?
Maybe the problem is not with making resolutions. Maybe it’s preparing for the resolution that is the problem. Maybe we don’t follow through with them because we don’t think we need to follow through with them. In other words – maybe it’s a problem with the foundation for the resolution.
A lot of money and time goes into the foundation
Have you ever watched a construction crew build a building? The larger the building the more work and money goes into the foundation. No one ever sees the foundation. Builders put a lot of money and a lot of time into something that no one ever sees! Any builder will tell you if the foundation isn’t solid the structure can’t last.
Some of your biggest challenges this year will be internally. The stuff that nobody else gets a chance to see are sometimes the hardest challenges to overcome. This is the stuff that shows you what your foundation is really made out of. It doesn’t matter how good you clean up on the outside if the inside is fractured and falling apart. This is what Jesus is saying in Mark 7:15.
Get the base right- you get the structure right
It takes work to get the ground ready. You have to prepare the ground, you have to build the walls, you have to reinforce the concrete before you can start to build the structure. I saw this clearly in a time-lapse video of the building of One World Trade Center. Check this video out it’s amazing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nn11DWH_LEA
Did you notice how much time in this video was dedicated to the foundation? Did you see how fast the structure went up after the foundation was built? What happens under the surface is extremely important to the stability of the building. Don’t ever let your character become less important than your actions!
Get ready for Jesus to work in your soul this year
Is the soil of your soul ready for Jesus to do something in your life this year? Are you preparing your heart right now for what Christ wants to do in your life this year? This was John the Baptist’s ministry. He prepared people for the coming of King Jesus. And his message was the same- get the foundation ready. John says that God will make the hills low and the valleys high. God is in the business of raising up those who are spiritually weak. He’s also in the business of a humbling those who think they are strong. Jesus often weakens those that find strength in themselves. This is what the phrase “every mountain and hill shall be made low” in Luke 3:5 is referring. I’m working on the soil of my soul right now. How about you?
