By Angela Ryo

Happy New Year, everyone! We just celebrated Epiphany last Sunday, and I have to say, it’s one of my favorite Sundays. Epiphany comes from the Greek word that means “to reveal.” It’s the celebration of divine revelation and all the ways in which God reveals Godself to us and transforms us. I believe seeking for God’s revelation is one of the ways in which we live a Spirit-led life.

We have entered a new year. We know very little to nothing about what this year holds for us. We seek for God’s revelation. And that’s probably why we have New Year’s resolutions — to guide us through the new year and hopefully open our eyes to God’s revelation. But are New Year’s resolutions really an effective guide for us?

So I did a little digging regarding New Year’s resolutions and here’s what I came up with: Researchers suggest that only 9% of Americans that make resolutions complete them. In fact, research goes on to show that 23% of people quit their resolution by the end of the first week, and 43% quit by the end of January.[1] Yikes. Not very promising, is it?

And according to U.S. News and World Report, the failure rate for New Year’s resolutions is said to be an estimated 80% with most people losing their resolve and motivation just weeks later in mid-February.

And perhaps unsurprisingly, the top three New Year’s resolutions made each year are…can you guess? 1. living healthier (23%), 2. personal improvement or happiness (21%) and 3. losing weight (20%)[2] Are any of them yours?

It probably doesn’t surprise you that the magi who came to see baby Jesus didn’t have a New Year’s resolution; I would argue they had an intention. What’s the difference, you might ask? Isn’t it just a matter of semantics? I don’t think so.

Resolutions are courses of action that solve a problem or address an issue and are specific, measurable, and clearly defined. “I will go to the gym everyday” is an example of a resolution. Their specificity, however, means that resolutions often result in a good/bad or pass/fail mentality. If a person stops going to the gym by February, they may consider this resolution a fail and internalize feelings of disappointment and shame and label themselves as a “failure” for not reaching what they had set out to do.[3]

Unlike resolutions that are quantitative, intentions are qualitative. They embody a quality or value. Intentions consist of a single word or mantra that serves as a guide to inspire action. They are generative rather than judgmental. The magi followed the star because they wanted to find Jesus and worship him. They didn’t have a set of expectations such as, “I will lower my cholesterol by seeing baby Jesus!” The magi had nothing to gain — at least not physically or materially — by making that long trip to find the baby Jesus. There was no goal or expectation other than to simply find Jesus, worship him, and bring him gifts. What would THAT do for them? They had no idea. Their intention was simply to follow the star, and let it lead them to the Savior of the world — and see how that would change them.

I believe when we live a life of intentions, we’re inviting the Spirit to lead and guide us. Last year, my “star word” (we pick one out every year at our church) was “grow.” I was intentional about growing all year (maybe not so much physically, although that would have been nice!). Growing in my relationship with God and others; growing in understanding of myself and the world around me; growing in grace, love, and joy; growing as a pastor and friend; growing in listening to the Spirit of God and growing in discernment. In moments of uncertainty, I asked myself, “How would this make me grow and in what way?”

I didn’t have a resolution — a set of outcomes I could recite for you — but I had an intention that applied to all areas of my life with open-ended outcomes and revelations that I welcomed with open heart, mind, and spirit. And it’s incredible to see where that intention led me and how much I’ve “grown” in the last year in all areas of my life. Not quantitatively, but definitely qualitatively; not number-driven but definitely narrative-driven. What about you? What will your intention be this year? What will be your star word or mantra that will guide you through the year? How will you open up your life to be led by the Spirit this year?

Angela Ryo currently serves as Pastor at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Munster, IN. She enjoys taking long walks, reading, listening to NPR, and drinking good coffee with friends and strangers alike.

[1] https://fisher.osu.edu/blogs/leadreadtoday/why-most-new-years-resolutions-fail#:~:text=Have%20you%20been%20able%20to,by%20the%20end%20of%20January.

[2] according to a report published by Statista in Nov. 2022.

[3] https://www.centerforappreciativeinquiry.net/using-appreciative-inquiry-to-set-intentions-not-resolutions/