My child, listen and be wise: Keep your heart on the right course. Proverbs 23:19 (NLT)
In my mind, New Year’s resolutions do not have a great deal of credibility. People have good intentions, but by the middle of January a preponderance of resolutions have already been abandoned. Some resolutions are unreasonable while for others “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
One of the weaknesses in New Year’s resolutions is that if we discover something that needs to be changed in our lives, why wait until the beginning of the year? Wouldn’t it be better if we discover something that we want to improve, to begin immediately, demonstrating our resolve and commitment?
I propose that instead of looking at New Year’s resolutions, we instead substitute New Year’s recalibrations. In order to define what it means to recalibrate; we must first understand what it means to calibrate something. For example, when a pilot sets the course of the plane, he does so with instruments that are calibrated to accurately reflect a course heading. Recalibration is necessary to ensure continued accuracy.
When a person comes to Christ, they set their hearts and minds toward him, but without continued recalibration, there is no assurance that they are still on course. Unlike a new resolution, recalibration assumes that a course has already been determined, but reconfirms, or adjusts course, if necessary, in order to reach our destination.
Many things can happen on our journey toward God, it is important to periodically check to see where we are and remind ourselves of where we are going.
Knocked Off Course
After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. Matthew 14:23–24 (NIV)
At some point in the past, you set your mind on following Christ. We might even say that you made a resolution. We do not serve or follow Christ in a vacuum. There are forces at work, endeavoring to alter our course, to bring confusion, doubt, and worry into our lives.
We are reminded of the poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, where he declares: "Into each life some rain must fall," meaning that everyone will experience difficulty and heartache at some point.
Earlier in the day, the disciples had witnessed Jesus feeding the five thousand. Later, he sent the disciples on their way, while he went to the mountain to pray. The little boat was buffeted by waves. It was dark, and the normal means of navigation were not available to them.
In a way, they had lost sight of Jesus. Some of these men were experienced fishermen, but as we have seen on other occasions, the force of wind and waves was daunting. It is safe to say, that every child of God, has at some point, experienced separation anxiety.
We were knocked off course. We do not need a new resolution, but a recalibration. In the days before cell phones, families would agree to meet at a certain landmark, at a certain time, or if they became separated. I would propose that when we lose sight of Jesus because of the storms of life, we come back to the foot of the cross.
Drifting Away
So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it. Hebrews 2:1 (NLT)
While it may be obvious when the storms of life hit us, drifting away is more subtle. Storms are external forces, but to drift away originates within us. Let’s look at two primary causes of drifting. When the boat loses power, either because the wind is still, or the motor stops running, the vessel will drift with the current.
We know that power in the believer’s life comes from the Holy Spirit. Why do people think that they can receive one infilling, and then go about their lives presuming that it will last forever? A failure to be refilled by the Holy Spirit will inevitably result in drifting. It is not difficult to understand in the natural realm or the spiritual realm. We could interpret Ephesians 5:18 as, “Be continually filled with the Holy Spirit.”
A second cause of drifting happens because of inattention or distractions. Hebrews 12 admonishes us to “Fix our eyes on Jesus.” When I was young, we spent summer weeks on a lake in Minnesota. When rowing a boat, you sit backwards. We were taught to fix our attention on a landmark opposite of where we intended to go. A failure to do this would result in being off course. We would need to recalibrate to get back on course. Drifting is dangerous.
The Standard
For we don’t dare classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. But in measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves to themselves, they lack understanding. 2 Corinthians 10:12 (CSB)
When a piano needs tuning, an objective standard such as a tuning fork, or properly recalibrated instrumentation is used to bring the piano into “alignment” with the correct pitch.
Paul observed that his opponents were comparing themselves with each other. They were not looking to an absolute standard. Without evaluating our lives in reference to the word of God, we will be in error. Yes, storms will come. There will be times when we are distracted, or we lose power.
We cannot afford to compare ourselves with someone else who is drifting, and hope that we will reach our intended destination. I call to you from the ends of the earth when my heart is without strength. Lead me to a rock that is high above me, Psalm 61:2 (CSB)
Our Rock is the standard. It is only when we fix our eyes on Jesus that we can recalibrate our lives to reach the intended destination. He is faithful, even when we lose sight of him for a period of time, all we have to do is call upon his name. We do not need a new resolution this year, but we may need a recalibration.
Steve Ekeroth