By Larry P. Stover

The arrival of a new year is always filled with anticipation. Mentally and emotionally we often wipe the slate clean of the previous year and begin making new and better decisions that will hopefully make the New Year better than the one before.

Americans love making New Year’s resolutions. There is something about them that gives us a new focus or even a new lease on life. We may choose to go on a diet so we can have some physical satisfaction. Some may resolve to change some bad habits so they can be emotionally rekindled. Others may resolve to attend church more or spend more time in prayer and Bible reading so they can enjoy a time of spiritual renewal.

While each of these resolutions is great and can give a lot of satisfaction, there is one basic foundational resolve that needs to be addressed. The success of every New Year’s resolution rests on the establishment of this one foundational principle.

This principle is found in Philippians 3:12-14. The New International Version reads; “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

The essence of this passage is found in the fact that we all have a spiritual race to run. Just as a disciplined runner does not look back during the race, we need to quit looking at the past with all the regrets of it.

What is the “goal” of Philippians 3? To understand this concept, we have to understand the nature of how we were created. God is a very holistic deity. He created us with a physical, emotional, mental and spiritual nature. These are not separate compartments that have no relevance or influence on the others.We are comprised of a very intricate woven personality involving each of these characteristics. When one or more of them is out of sync, the other three are negatively affected.

If my goal for 2015 is that these four basic elements of my life are all on track working together, then there is one thing that I need to do.

First of all, I need to understand that Jesus Christ died for my sins. Next, I must accept him as my personal savior.

Finally, I must resolve to make the will of God the most important resolution in my life for 2015. When a 24/7 relationship with Jesus Christ becomes the focus of my life, it will impact every resolution that I make. I won’t be thinking about physical, emotional, mental, or even spiritual issues individually; I will be thinking about them in relation to the will and purpose of God in my life.

When we resolve to make reflecting Jesus Christ the “goal” of our life in 2015, it will make the year “simply beautiful.”