Happy New Year? No. Happy New Week!
The New Year has arrived once again and many will be making “New Year’s Resolutions” to achieve some personal goals in the coming year. Social Scientists tell us that the most common resolutions include losing weight, exercising more, eating healthier, saving money, and quitting smoking. All good goals.
But according to a 2007 study by Richard Wiseman from the University of Bristol involving 3,000 people, 88% of those who set New Year's Resolutions fail. That leaves only 12% who succeed, and that’s not good. Are we stuck with these poor results, or is there a better way to improve our lives? Yes there is. I call them “New Week’s Resolutions.”
They’ve Been There All Along
The idea is based on The Creation Story. In the first two chapters of Genesis we find Sunday’s Illumination and the 7-day week. Together these principles change our lives.
In Gen. 1:3 we read that God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. This happened on Sunday, the first day of the week. Then, jumping to chapter 2, we find in Gen. 2:1 that the heavens and the earth were finished in six days and on the seventh day God rested.
The point we need to see in these two passages is that God started the week on Sunday with light and then ended the week on the seventh day. By making the 7th day the end of the week, God created the 7-day week itself, and it’s been rotating ever since. Sunday is the first day of every 7-day week.
So, Here Is Why It Matters.
The only way to experience continuity and stability in a world that is constantly in motion is by establishing cycles and rotations within all that motion. From the smallest atom to the largest galaxy, it’s all moving in circles. We have the rotation of the Earth on its axis to mark our 24-hour day. We have the routine phases of the Moon to mark the general length of our lunar months. And we have the orbit of the earth around the Sun to mark the 365.25 days of our year. But where do we find the week? No celestial body marks it.
The 7-day week exists only in the mind of God. He created it when He concluded His work on the sixth day and then proclaimed the 7th day to be a day of rest. Since God was not tired, this “day of rest” was actually made for mankind (Mark 2:27). But that’s how the 7-day week began, whether we believe in God or not.
Now the 7-day week happens to be the ideal unit of time for living a balanced and productive life. A single day is too short to adequately address all the important areas and relationships of our lives. The month is too long to plan effectively because too many things change by the end of a month. But the 7-day week is perfect. It offers us a practical unit of time. We can balance each week by focusing each day on one or two key areas of life, and then, just as God did, we can “call it a day.” The 7-day week is a perfect routine.
What’s So Special About Sunday?
When Christ rose from the dead on that first Easter Sunday morning, Christians began gathering to worship Him on Sundays. It’s not the Sabbath (That’s still Saturday). Sunday is “the Lord’s Day.” But there is more going on here. As we saw, God began His Creation Week with Sunday’s illumination. He said “Let there be light” and there was light. But that wasn’t the illumination of the Sun. The Sun didn’t show up until Wednesday! So, that light must have been a spiritual light, and it burst forth on the first Sunday morning in history.
But wait! There’s more! As I said, Jesus rose from the dead on a Sunday morning (Luke 24:1). And then the Holy Spirit filled the fledgling church with His power on another Sunday called Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). So, what is God telling us through all of this?
I believe God is showing us, by all three of these Sunday events, that Sunday, the Lord’s Day is a very special day. It serves us even today as a day of spiritual illumination, a day to remember Christ’s redemption, and a day to be filled and refilled with the Holy Spirit of God. Gathering to worship God on Sunday lifts us up out of our fast-paced, complicated circumstances to stand upon a spiritual mountain-top, as it were, where we can see our lives from God’s higher perspective.
From this weekly “mountain top” we can respond to every important relationship we have with greater wisdom. We can plan more effectively to give an appropriate amount of time (not equal time!) to each area. We can respond to each responsibility within the wise routine of our brand new 7-day week. Sunday becomes “the springboard” of our entire life, one week at a time. We can dive into each new Monday with greater grace and purpose.
Plan in the Afterglow of Worship
Because this is true, it makes sense to plan each new week in the afterglow of Sunday’s worship. This is what I advise everyone to do whether or not you are a Christian. First, find yourself a faithful, Bible-believing, Bible-teaching evangelical church nearby. Then, get into the routine of attending that church’s Sunday worship services each week. Worship God as best you know how. Don’t miss out on the benefits of gathering with people who love God, and who will also love you and your family if you will just give them a chance. While you are there, seek God with all your heart, and you will find Him.
Then Take Time to Plan Your Week.
On each Sunday evening, slip away by yourself (or along with your spouse), to plan your new week in the light of all you received that morning: a Sunday full of illumination, redemption and spiritual empowerment. Make that Sunday the springboard of your new week. Let God lift you up to such heights that you can see what matters most. Then write those plans down. Be ready to dive into Monday. And remember, whether you use this “spring board” or not, you’ll still end up in Monday morning’s water. So take the plunge.
Make “New Week’s Resolutions.” They work far better than any “New Year’s Resolutions.” Rather than waiting for another New Year to roll around, renew your weekly resolutions every Sunday. If you fail one week, you can always recommit for the next week. And then for the next. You’ll get 52 tries at making progress toward the goals you set in every area of your life. This approach really works.
Give God The Credit He Is Due.
This weekly approach to planning is an example of how biblical principles can make our lives better even before we believe God is there. The Bible is filled with such wisdom.
It would be a shame for you to enjoy the temporal benefits of God’s wisdom while missing out on the eternal benefits He offers you. If you haven’t yet been saved, you need to be before it’s too late. Jesus’ life, death, burial, and resurrection have already paid for all the sins of those who trust in Him. You can be forgiven, and even be adopted into God’s eternal family. Whatever else you may believe, don’t miss out on that. Repent. Trust in the only One who can save you from the punishment your sins deserve. Believe in your heart that Jesus died in your place and rose from the dead. And when you do, He will give you far more than just a better way to live. He will give you an entirely new life.
Questions? Call or text me at 971-370-0967.
