by Victor Chen

The reason why New Year’s resolutions often fail is that they fail to address the deeper issues of the heart. Outward behavior cannot be sustained if change isn’t happening below the surface. 

We want to put the Lord first in all things, but find ourselves constantly putting other things ahead of Him.

What can we do?

One way to address internal issues of the heart is to replace one action tied to a desire with another action tied to our desire for the Lord. It would be like a treasure swap. 

For instance, many of us derive comfort from eating and would like to change that. The next time we desire comfort and reach for food, try reaching for the Lord in prayer, meditating on a verse and allowing Him to be our nourishment. 

Another example is how we try to escape from the rigors of life by vegging on the couch and binge-watching. We are concerned about our screen time intake. The next time we want to escape, try escaping to spend time with God by journaling, writing out your prayers or sketching out the beauties of His creation outdoors.

Finally, we often start our day checking in on messages, emails and social media. We’re concerned why we’re frazzled and overwhelmed all the time. The next time we roll out of bed, try reaching for God’s Word and start the morning reading a Psalm as a prayer to begin your day with the Lord. 

As Christians in the world, we are constantly caught in a battle of desires — what we want versus what the Lord wants. It is good to resolve to desire the Lord first in all things. 

How we go about that means swapping the lesser treasure for the greatest.

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21 (ESV)