You may be putting some New Year’s resolutions in motion today, but did you know that the practice has pagan roots? About 4,000 years ago, the Babylonians recognized the new year in mid-March when crops were planted. The event was marked by a weeklong celebration that involved reaffirming their loyalty to idols and a commitment to pay debts and return borrowed items. It was believed that the gods would grant favor to those who kept their pledges.
Around 46 B.C., the Roman emperor Julius Caesar changed the calendar, setting the new year to January 1. This was to honor the two-faced god, Janus, who was believed to simultaneously look back into the previous year and ahead into the one just beginning. They, too, made sacrifices to the false god, accompanied by promises of improved behavior.
The ancient practice reveals something about the heart of all people. There is an innate knowledge that God exists and that they have sinned against Him. They suppress it, yet people know they have fallen short and then make plans to do a better job of “measuring up” in the new year. Unfortunately, it is a practice that doubles down on self-reliance rather than humbly seeking the only One who can truly change a person’s heart and behavior.
For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For His invisible attributes, namely, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. (Rom. 1:19–21)
New Year’s resolutions have become almost entirely secular, focused on personal improvement (e.g., exercise, diet, saving money, learning new skills). Still, most of them remain centered on self-determination. Though you won’t find many people making resolutions that involve sacrifices to idols, a similarity remains. It is transactional. The Babylonians and the Romans believed they could invoke the favor of false gods, and in the same way, some Christians believe they can elicit blessings by trying to be a “better person.”
There are many good things you can resolve to do this year, such as eating more responsibly, exercising more, and budgeting your money more wisely. But if these are disconnected from the primary resolution to honor the Lord, you are operating out of self-reliance. The Bible warns against presumptuous commitments.
Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”—yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” (Jas. 4:13–15)
As you consider the new set of 12 months ahead, resolve to make changes consistent with God’s will. Devote yourself to regular Bible memorization, increased time in prayer and engaging with others in the church. As you ponder your commitments, decide in your heart how much you will give to the Lord, so you will avoid giving reluctantly or out of compulsion, because God loves a cheerful giver. Consider participating in a fast a few times this year to seek God’s guidance, express sorrow for sin or to eliminate worldly distractions.
The new year brings new opportunities. As you fill out the “goals” section of your new annual planner and begin to pencil in important dates, make sure everything you record is subject to the Lord. Ask God to help you align your resolutions with your primary commitment to honoring Him.
Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand. (Prov. 19:21)