"A Colmar Brunton survey of 1016 New Zealanders last year found that while 51 percent of us made resolutions for 2013, only 37 percent reached our target. That’s just one in five of us setting a goal for the year ahead and achieving it. However, 47 percent of those who set a resolution said they “kind of” achieved it; 16 percent didn’t come close." (This from NZ Herald.) So the outlook for achievement in 2014 is pretty low.

Of course most of these resolutions were for physical change - health, careers, money, saving. If the trend of other countries is true, many of these goals will be given up on, or abandoned, before January is through.

The resolutions we make tend to reflect our age bracket and stage of life, but very few of them actually seem to be for idealistic or intangible goals - such as supporting charities, restoring relationships, finding peace, doing good works, building self-confidence, switching from negativity to positiveness, and - dare I say it - walking closer with God.

How many of us have Christian-focused resolutions? and are we likely to achieve our goals? If we can't even keep up with our physical goals, which should be relatively straight forward to approach, how do we expect or hope to achieve our spiritual ones?

We have to remember that spiritual goals are a process, not necessarily a defined result. For instance, can we ever expect to achieve perfection in this life? We can put actions in place that help perfect us, but perfection itself is unattainable by us. A state of perfection comes from God. Instead put your goal in the context of a process, and recognise progress and small achievements along the way. Give yourself credit for making the journey and keeping on with it.

Don't be discouraged by not achieving the ultimate goal you set - by not getting there in the way or the timing that you planned. More importantly, don't give up trying - perhaps a new approach is needed, or a new timeframe, and less reliance on our own strength rather than God's.

2 Corinthians 3:5 tells us our power and success comes from God. Achievement is possible, and we will see the results if we allow God to provide our capability.

Then let this mighty Jesus be, An all-sufficient Help for me, Creating power and will; Thy grace sufficed saints of old; It made them strong and made them bold, And it suffices still.

- from “Our sufficiency is of God" by John Berridge