New Year, New Resolution

It’s a New Year and with New Years comes new resolutions. This year, I’ve made two personal and very practical resolutions.

1. To read the whole Bible in a year using the ESV Every Day Bible.
2. To read Joel Beeke and Paul Smalley’s Reformed Systematic Theology. 

This year, I want us as a RE Gen-Z community to have one New Year Resolution, one overarching theme or motto, and that is, to ‘Know God Urgently’. 

Two Key Phrases

Two key phrases or words — ‘knowing God’ and ‘urgently’. If you’ve been in and around the RE Gen-Z community in person, at our events, the study centre, or online on our blog, social media or podcast, you know we’ve discussed heaps about the struggles and problems Gen-Z’s face. 

While I’m at it, 11-14th of April is Regeneration-Z’s inaugural convention with the theme, BeREal: Gen-Z’s 7 greatest struggles. Registration open January 8, you don’t want to miss it, make sure you’re there. More info at https://regenerationz.org/convention. 

Ok. But, here’s the thing. What’s the solution to our seemingly okay— which are, if we’re honest, not fine, depressing, half-dead, trying-to-survive-tomorrow, maybe-one-day-hopefully-I-can-figure-this-out —  lives? 

Knowing God

The answer is to know God! And this is the burden I have for all you and for our generation. We are a generation devoid of deep, relational, heart-changing, joy-giving, peace-bearing, comfort-bringing, God-glorifying, experiential knowing of God. To most of us, our concept of theology is of an abstract unknowable god, and if knowable in any way, a god hidden away in rigid ancient dusty old books fit for bored and lifeless men in retirement. 

But, if we are given grace to know God at the level I’m talking about, we’d be living completely different lives. As the then teen author Jacquelle Crowe titled her first book, “This [faith received in Christ to know God at this kind of level] changes everything”. There will be true joy, true purpose, true direction, true zeal, true contentment. 

But those are only the side effects. What’s most important is that we will be living in God’s will, doing what pleases Him. God says in Hosea 6:6, “For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings”.  

Urgently

The second key word is ‘urgently’. The real reason why our world and our lives are broken is because of the effects of our rejection and rebellion against God. God designed us to live by His good laws, to serve and worship Him in a personal walking relationship with Him and find our truest and deepest satisfaction in doing just that. Simply put, we’re not doing what God says. As a result, we’ve stuffed everything up. 

And this is a very practical day-to-day thing that we commit. Although God’s laws are inherently written in our hearts, we reject them every day when we boast in the desires of our own soul, when we live according to our own ways and plans, and so in our pride, we practically say with our actions, “There is no God” (see Psalm 10:3-4). 

If we’ve accepted Jesus and put our faith in Him, we’ve not only said yes to Heaven, but yes to repentance and to turning back to God’s will and original design for our lives. Through faith in Christ, He’s given us the great privilege to turn back to knowing and serving Him. Are we going to call ourselves Christians and continue to miss the point of what we’ve confessed? Are we going to continue living life as practical atheists who act as if there is no God by making our own worldly desires and plans our gods?

Knowing God has to be our urgent priority. And always. Not only when church camp comes around or on Friday evenings and Sunday mornings. But every single day, every single moment, every single second. Seeking to know God’s got to be our life-blood and breath, our very DNA, our highest and supreme desire. 

Look, I know it’s hard. I fail enormously. And that’s not an understatement. Our spirit is indeed willing, but our flesh is weak (Matthew 26:41). We’ve got to humbly watch and pray, and we’ve got do this together, in community. We’ve got to urge one another onwards. Maybe we feel like we’ve fallen far last year. Let’s ask God for forgiveness and get up again in His grace that He offers freely in Christ. Let’s make ‘knowing God urgently’ our New Year Resolution and pray for God’s leading this year. He promises to reveal Himself, if we truly, earnestly seek Him.