Happy New Year! You know what that means: it's time to make resolutions—a word that's become so blithely used it's almost a joke. Sure, we may make a few resolutions, but how long will we keep them? How long before that new diet or gym membership or other significant life-changing plan falls short of its goal, as we slip back into the ease of routine?

And yet, the concept of resolution is certainly a worthy idea. The new year offers such a perfect opportunity to start over, to revive and to change. Setting goals and making plans to better ourselves and the world around us is a noble ambition. So why is it so hard for us to follow through?

There are plenty of answers to that question. Maybe our resolutions lack heart or purpose. Maybe they're missing a detailed plan or measurable ways of marking progress. Maybe they're just unreasonable or impossible from the start. Several solutions exist for all of those problems, the kind of stuff you could probably find in any self-help book out there. We could talk about making smart goals and realistic plans. About purposeful habit-forming. But those aren't the solutions I want to discuss here.

So what are we missing? What's the secret to keeping your New Year's resolution?

The secret to keeping your New Year's resolution is: don't make one. Don't make any. None at all.

But wait, I thought resolutions were good? At least in theory, right? Let me explain.

The problem with New Year's resolutions is that they've become a monster of their own. In the culture of our society, they've become just another hinderance to actually making change. Because of the pre-existing mental concept we have about them, we just expect them to fail before we begin, even if its unconsciously so. New Year's resolutions have a cart-before-the-horse problem. We get so excited about doing something to make our lives better and then we burnout only a few weeks (or days) later.

Ephesians 6:10-20 is one of the more famous passages in the New Testament, outlining the Christian's metaphorical armor of God. It's an exciting passage, one that—like a war cry—induces visions of confidently moving forward to overcome evil and change the world. Once these verses become so familiar, it's easy to take off the moment you see the passage coming. You can be already putting on the helmet and charging to battle in your mind before you process anything you've just read. That's a problem because you miss the verse that gives meaning to the whole passage:

"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might."

Sometimes we get so excited about making resolutions that we miss the foundational part of any goal or plan or mission that we make in life. We buy into society's resolution joke and we think that we can find strength in ourselves, that by focusing solely inward, we'll find power in our own health or physical fitness or financial success or self-improvement. No wonder those resolutions end up failing.

No, there's nothing wrong with seeking to better ourselves or improve our lives. But if we think that we'll find strength in those things alone, we will quickly return to our old ways by the end of January. Because, just like in Ephesians 6, we're missing what should be first. We're missing what should set up everything that follows: "Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might."

So here's the kicker. Don't make a "resolution." Instead, determine to find strength in the Lord. And then make plans for change. His strength will put things in order, and inspire the confidence and perseverance to carry out your plans all through the year.

Yes, we've ruined the word "resolution." So don't make any. As an alternative, choose to seek strength in God, for His strength is no secret.

"A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps." -Proverbs 16:9