New Year’s resolutions tend to reveal a lot about people in terms of hopes, desires and cultural trends. This is likely because any resolution, whether we have consciously recognized it or not, begins with an assessment that “things are not as they could or should be”, revealing what is most important to us, or at a minimum, describing who we are as a society. The year 2020 appeared to have begun with conflicting goals in some respects. In late 2019 to early 2020, Americans were resolved on exercising more and saving money; however the same group of respondents also wanted to get more sleep and travel more.¹ In evaluating the top ten 2020 New Year’s resolutions, we appear to be sedentary, overeating people who overspent, were weary and needed a fresh change of scenery. Not to disappoint the 24% who resolved to have improved relationships², 2020 had a plethora of COVID quarantine time to develop intra and interpersonal skills via solitude, lock-down proximity, FaceTime or Zoom. In fact, 2020 will likely have impacted every human and practically every endeavor on the planet. We will never be the same. Things have changed.

New Year’s resolutions also have shifted after the mixed martial arts event that was 2020. In fact, goals and resolutions for 2021 showed some interesting trends with the top two resolutions being saving money for the future and learning a new skill.³ Unlike the mismatched goals for 2020, approximately half of the respondents were planning to budget and tackle debt in 2021, thereby increasing the likelihood that they will be able to save more money for the future. Interestingly enough, despite the fact that many people quarantined with immediate family, people also resolved to spend more time with family and do more traveling in 2021.⁴ Maybe 2021 will see more traveling to visit family or traveling with family, both of which could result in saving money for the future! Time will tell. Like a MMA fighter, we have emerged from 2020, bruised and wounded, but with a renewed plan for winning. A new year with new plans can make us feel hopeful and reenergized. Will it be enough? Is there a value in newness?

The Bible frequently talks about the need for renewal in our lives and regularly speaks of everyday life adjustments such as updates to contracts, covenants, relationships, agreements, and political alliances. Are you longing to be renewed and refreshed in any of the following ways?⁵

• Isaiah 40:31 “…but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”
• Psalm 51:10 “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”
• Psalm 103:5 “[Bless the Lord, oh my soul]…who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
• Romans 12:2 “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
• 2 Corinthians 4:16 “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.” [This is a reference to those who have put their trust in Christ.]
• Ephesians 4:20-24 “But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”
• Colossians 3:9-10 “Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.”
• Titus 3:4-7 “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

The human brain is actually designed by Creator God⁶ to recognize and explore new ideas, experiences and solutions. Newness accelerates learning and results in chemical and neurological changes within our brains.⁷

However, the ultimate source of renewal and change is being a new person. In Jesus, our hopes, thoughts, desires and soul become new.⁸

• 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
• Ezekiel 11:19a and Ezekiel 36:26 “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”
• Romans 6:4 “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”
• Romans 7:6 “But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.”
• Ephesians 4:21-24 “…assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”
• Colossians 3:10 “…and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.”
• Revelation 21:5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

What type of newness is your heart longing for? What is your New Year’s Resolution for 2021? Will it matter for eternity and stand the test of time? Is it empowered by your strength or by the power of the strength of the One who created you, loves you, gave His life for you that you would have life and have it more abundantly?⁹

We would love to do life with you! Please join us for Sunday services. Our livestream is also still available as well. If you would like a pastor to call you, please contact us at office@cornerstonejoppa.org or connect with us through our webpage at https://cornerstonejoppa.org/contact-us/. Happy New Year!

¹ Ballard, J. Exercising more and saving money are the most popular 2020 New Year’s Resolutions. YouGov. Published online January 02, 2020. Accessed December 26, 2020 from https://today.yougov.com/topics/lifestyle/articles-reports/2020/01/02/new-years-resolutions-2020-health-finance
²ibid
³People Staff. Most Americans Are Ditching Traditional New Year’s Resolutions for 2021, Survey Finds. People. People.com accessed on January 2, 2021 from https://people.com/human-interest/most-americans-are-ditching-traditional-new-years-resolutions-for-2021-survey-finds/
⁴ibid
⁵Renew: The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV Text Edition: 2016. Crossway Bibles, Good News Publishers. https://www.biblegateway.com
⁶Genesis 1; Psalm 139
⁷Cooper, BB. Novelty and the Brain: Why New Things Make Us Feel So Good. Lifehacker. Accessed on January 2, 2021 from https://lifehacker.com/novelty-and-the-brain-why-new-things-make-us-feel-so-g-508983802
⁸Cooper, BB. Novelty and the Brain: Why New Things Make Us Feel So Good. Lifehacker. Accessed on January 2, 2021 from https://lifehacker.com/novelty-and-the-brain-why-new-things-make-us-feel-so-g-508983802
⁹John 10:10