Who’s into New Years resolutions? Statistically only 44% of American’s make New Years Resolutions and out of those only 8% stick to them. I have a theory as to why most of our resolutions fail. Here’s the center of most of our resolutions.

This year I resolve to be more self absorbed than I was last year.

I found a list of common New Years Resolutions and out of the 20 resolutions there are three that are not totally me focused. 4% of people want to get closer to God, 3% want to increase family time and 1% want to be kinder to others.

Every resolution has a common goal. To be a better person, but most of our resolutions don’t get us there because our focus is on us. Here’s a resolution Jesus challenged us to.

Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.

To be great starts here. Serve other people. Now, admittedly, helping other people doesn’t get us great abs or help us to lose weight or drop a dress size or get huge or run a faster marathon time, but if you want to be great at what really matters the goal isn’t me centered.

Here is another reason why we fail at resolutions

If you resolve to help people it will most likely be on your way to what you think is important.

I think one of the reasons why the people got so upset with Jesus is because what they expected was a big miracle service in the synagogue. Jesus do some tricks. That’s not typically the way Jesus worked.

Most of the time when Jesus helped someone it wasn’t on a stage. It was on the way.

On his way to the next town. On the way to visit friends. On the way to an appointment.

As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Mark 10:17

As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him.  And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years Luke 8:42,43

Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee.  As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. Luke 17:11,12

There’s a problem with this Jesus style of making a difference in the lives of people on the way and my guess is you witness this behavior every day. How do most people walk through life? Head down, looking at a cell phone. Take the next 24 hours to observe people and how they walk. I’d be shocked if you don’t find a world of people walking through your neighborhood, through the mall, around work staring down at a cellphone.

Here’s a resolution . If you do nothing else just do this. Resolve to walk with your head up. Walk with your eyes open. As you walk just ask God to show you how you can make a difference. Here’s what you will find.

An office filled with people in need.
A home with family members who need encouragement.
Friends who are not as happy as they appear on the outside.

Let’s resolve that this year we will be great how Jesus defines it.