“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…..”
-Romans 12:2
New Year’s Renewsolutions – Renew, Set, Repeat!
Each year, I joke about New Year’s resolutions, even poke fun at people who write them, but then end up making them anyway. Studies show only 25% of people stick to their resolutions after 30 days, and less than 10% see them through. I’m certainty a statistic. Why do most resolutions fail? It’s not that the goals are too big or vague. Common resolutions are often simple things like losing weight or saving money. But despite my own efforts, last year I lost money and gained weight!
I believe most resolutions fail because they’re self-focused.
Romans 8:5-7 reminds us that living according to the flesh leads to death, while living according to the Spirit brings life and peace. Many of our resolutions are self-centered, aimed at feeling better or achieving personal goals. But focusing on ourselves is like turning to the problem for the solution. True peace comes when we focus on the Kingdom of God, not ourselves.
There are two things that you can do
Renew Your Mind
Romans 12:2 encourages us to “be transformed by the renewal of your mind.” Why is this so important? Because our minds shape how we respond to life’s challenges. Charles Swindoll says, “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you handle it.” How we handle challenges often reflects our spiritual health. In seasons of spiritual health, I feel unshaken, no matter the circumstances. But in times of spiritual weakness, even small issues can ruin my day.
The world pulls us away from God’s truth. We’re told to focus on ourselves, pursue wealth, and ignore others. But the Bible teaches forgiveness, self-denial, and the importance of loving others. The process of renewing your mind allows us to align our thoughts, heart, and spirit with God’s will, helping us hear and obey the Holy Spirit more clearly.
The Holy Spirit is waiting to guide us, but we often hinder Him. When we learn to obey the Spirit, we can experience a true revival. Luke 10:2 says, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” God wants to use us, but we must be open to His guidance.
Set Your Mind on the Kingdom
Matthew 6:33 tells us to “seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.” When we put God’s Kingdom first, our plans fall into place. I’ve seen firsthand how putting God’s priorities ahead of my own leads to blessings and opportunities I couldn’t have imagined. While it’s fine to plan for things like business success, when we make them our sole focus, our plans can be frustrated. But when we seek God first, He opens doors and blesses us in ways we didn’t expect.
Remember, everything on earth is temporary. Jesus said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth…but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:19-21). Earthly treasures will fade, but heavenly treasures last forever. And what are heavenly treasures? People who come to Christ and are saved. That’s the ultimate treasure.
The most important thing in life is helping others find Christ. If you’re not burdened for the lost, I challenge you to make it your New Year’s resolution. We can get distracted by many things, even good ones like serving the church, but the lost must remain our priority.
A Simple Challenge
I want to challenge you with two things this year:
- Pray for the salvation of one person
Pick someone in your life who doesn’t know Christ and commit to praying for their salvation this year.
- Set a Kingdom-minded goal
If you set a goal, make it about God’s Kingdom. Share it with me, and let’s encourage one another in this journey.
As Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 1:12, let’s live with simplicity and godly sincerity, relying not on earthly wisdom but on the grace of God. Let’s keep it simple—renew our minds and set our hearts on God’s Kingdom.
Think and Pray: How will you renew your mind and set your mind on the Kingdom this year? Heavenly Father, I pray that this year I will be more Kingdom focused in all I do in Jesus’ name, Amen!
Craig Calvert is the Vice President of Business Development at Genesis Concrete in Oklahoma City. He and his wife Allie have three children and he has participated in the CBMC Young Professionals program. In his spare time, Craig serves at Crossings Community Church, likes to ride dirt bikes, and watch The Office.
