New Years Resolution Or Transformation 
Copyright 2007 Heaven Ministries ~ Marriage Healing Ministry

Many of us commit ourselves to a new years resolution to stop a bad habit, lose weight, stop smoking, drinking, etc; The list of new years resolution are wide-ranging depending on what a person feels they need to work on or change about themselves. This article will discuss the difference between a resolution and a transformation. Once you understand the diversity of the two you may change your mind and strive to be transformed instead. 

Whatever it is that you wish to change and improve on can be seen as a transformation or renewing of the mind through Jesus Christ. I do know that we must know what our faults and weak areas are so we can change or improve on them. Some of us also need to come out of our denial before we can stop something we know is not right in the eyes of God. 

Remember what Jesus taught us. "No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain on the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:2-5 NIV)

I can probably lose weight, quit smoking, and drinking without the help of God, but will I remain fruitful and bear fruit without being attached to the vine, the source of who I am? I think not. Many ex smokers go back to smoking, many alcoholic's can't stay sober, why is that? They are told to believe in a higher power but believing and doing are two different things. 

It took me many years to understand what or who my higher power was. Oh, I knew it was God all right, but I had more faith in what I could do for myself than what God could do for me. My own faith did not get me very far. We must have faith that God WILL keep us from our weakness and that faith must be acted on every single day; that is what transformation and renewing of our mind is. We cannot transform without God. 

Transformation is not just stopping the weakness but it is living away from it on a daily basis through the food given to us from the Vine. If we have been cut off from the Vine, and many have, we are not given the food to sustain ourselves and keep us from our weakness. And that is why many addicts start using again; their food is drugs and or alcohol. That is why many selfish people remain selfish; their food is feeling good at all times. And that is why many people feel disconnected from life because they literally are disconnected from life!

Anyone can make a new years resolution; people do it all the time and some do succeed. There is nothing wrong with having resolutions and we should strive to always improve ourselves, but resolutions come and go and are usually self-ego induced and done under ones own will power. I see a problem with that kind of thinking and here's why. We can willfully set it in our heart and mind to lose weight or quit smoking but without the Spirit of Christ intervening it will continually be an uphill battle. 

A transformation is something we continually work on for life and cannot be met without God being the center of it. We must remain on the Vine! The Vine Continually feeds us so we are not on an uphill battle with sin. We must stay connected to the Vine!

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:22,23 NIV)

I believe that those people who are living their lives in Christ are continually producing fruits and transforming their lives. Being a child of God is a never-ending journey because we are attached to Him and he is the One who sustains us and transforms our lives so we continue to bear fruit for God, for ourselves, and for others. 

My Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that does not bear fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes, so that it will be even more fruitful. 
(John 15:1,2 NIV)