by Cherrilynn Bisbano @bisbanowrites

Happy New Year!

I don’t make resolutions. I stress out trying to keep them for two weeks, let alone a year.

This morning, I decided to research the history of New Year’s resolutions. If you already know the information, please stick with me. What I learned changed my attitude toward resolutions.

Let’s dive in.

The Babylonians celebrated the New Year with a twelve-day festival called Akitu. The event began the farming season. One common resolution was to return borrowed farm equipment.

The Romans adopted this celebration in  46 B.C. However, the timing eventually shifted to January 1st when Julius Caesar changed the date with the Julian calendar in 46 B.C.

January was named after the two-faced Roman god Janus, who looked forward to new beginnings and went backward for reflection and resolution. The Romans offered sacrifices to Janus and made promises of good behavior for the year ahead. They wanted to please their gods.

Wow! I did not know New Year’s resolutions were to please their idols.

Have you wrestled with the thought of pleasing God? I often feel I disappoint Him.

As we enter the new year, Let’s memorize the following verses. The Word proves God is pleased with us the way we are, but He is committed to making us more like Christ.

This is not automatic; we do need to cooperate with the working of the Holy Spirit.

2 Peter 1:3 “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.”

Romans 8:26, “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.”

Ephesians 1:3-4 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms. For He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in His presence.”

Philippians 1:6 “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

The Word is living and active and will change our doubts, attitudes, and focus. The Scripture above is the English Standard Version, but you can use any version you desire. Will you join me in memorizing these verses? Please join the conversation.

Cherrilynn Bisbano is an award-winning writer, coach, editor, and speaker. As former managing editor of Almost an Author, she helped the website earn the #6 spot on the Top 100 best writing websites for 2018 by The Write Life and Top 101 Websites for writers with Writers Digest. Cherrilynn is a speaker with Women Speakers. Her topics include leadership, book proposals, and the Bible.

She is a two-time winner of Flash Fiction Weekly. Her work in progress, Accidental Findings, won the first 10 pages award with, When Words Count Retreat. You can find her published in Blue Ridge Writers Blog, Southern Writers, More to Life (MTL), Christian Rep, Christian Voice, Refresh, and other online magazines. Cherrilynn is a contributor to award-winning, Get to the Margins-Author Anthology; Breaking the Chains; Heart Reno, Kiss Guilt Goodbye; and Chicken Soup for the Soul-Miracles books. Her latest book, Shine Don’t Whine, released October 2020. Cherrilynn proudly served in the Navy and Air National Guard, earning the John Levitow Military leadership award.  She lives with her eighteen-year-old son, Michael, Jr., and husband of 22 years. Cherrilynn loves Christ, Chocolate, coffee, and Cats. You will often find her on the beach sea glass hunting.