I heard that some people’s New Year’s Resolution reads something like this:

“I pray and read the Bible.”

My question is, how can this be a resolution?

“I resolve to pray and read the Bible” can be a New Year’s Resolution to people who are of this world; but for people who are born of the Spirit (John 3), praying/reading/studying the Bible is just like breathing air. Do you say, “I resolve to breathe air this year?”

Listen to what Jesus said: “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4

When we live without praying/reading/studying the Bible, we live to fulfill the desires of our flesh “according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.” (Ephesians 2:2-3)

No wonder we always find ourselves in a mess whenever we try to live without talking to God and studying His word.

Then, what should a Christian’s New Year’s Resolution read like?

Something like, “I resolve to fast from social media one day every week.” Or, “I resolve to walk two miles three days a week.” Or, “I resolve to volunteer in my community for two hours every week.”

Yes, praying/reading the Bible is the mark of a Christian, not a New Year’s Resolution. When these two markers are missing (praying/reading the Bible) from people but we tend to find them in churches and hear them talking Christianize, we call them Jesus’ Fans, not Christians. ///