by Clyde Kilough on January 3, 2014

Well, it’s been three days since the ball dropped in Times Square and, like usual, many Americans—an estimated 45 percent actually—kicked off the new year by declaring a resolution, a goal to accomplish in the coming weeks and months of 2014.

Do you know how many of them are statistically likely to succeed in those resolutions?

Eight percent.

Yes, less than one in 10 people who make a New Year’s resolution will actually accomplish what they set out to do. In fact, February is typically the best time of the year to purchase used exercise equipment because of the large quantity of people abandoning their resolutions after just one month. It happens every year, like clockwork—but why?

These are, for the most part, good goals. Things like losing weight, getting organized, spending less and saving more, quitting smoking, spending more time with family. Others are a little too hazy, such as helping others in their dreams, enjoying life to the fullest, or (and this is No. 9 on 2014’s top 10) falling in love. 

But a brand-new calendar doesn’t mean a brand-new us. Just because we crossed an arbitrary threshold in time doesn’t mean we’re more equipped to tackle our goals—if it was a challenge in 2013, it’s going to be a challenge in 2014.

So, does this mean it’s foolish to even try, or unrealistic to hope, for change in our lives? Not at all! It just means we have to have realistic expectations, and it’s going to take more work and motivation than watching a ball drop in Times Square to make it happen.

The Bible tells us that any real, lasting change has to begin on the inside. Giving a car a new coat of paint won’t help the engine run any better; neither will an outward resolution change who we are on the inside.

Are you really looking for change in your life? Then start here. Start with the Bible.

God’s Word, if we let it, can change us—it gives us the direction, knowledge and motivation to change who we are at the very core of our being. It’s also realistic, telling us that the road to change isn’t always an easy one to walk. But the changes that come with walking God’s way of life go so much deeper than the changes that come with walking a few miles on some exercise equipment that will become a coat rack in a month or so.

Only 8 percent of Americans with a New Year’s resolution will actually carry it to fruition. If you’re looking for a resolution to stick with, God’s Word is the place to start. It will show you the changes you need to make, the changes that will improve your life, your character and your future. God, and the truth of His Word, can convict you of the need to change. It all starts here, not on the calendar. Resolve to read it, understand it and follow it; and change on the inside … today!

For Life, Hope & Truth, I’m Clyde Kilough.