Dear Readers, have you made any New Year’s resolutions yet for 2024?
According to the History Channel (the most authoritative source I could find on the subject), it was 4,000 years ago when the ancient Babylonians began the annual practice of making a must-do list for the upcoming new year. Only eight percent of those Babylonians successfully completed the lists, but in their defense, those lists contained some very difficult, very challenging resolutions.
As soon as their crops were planted (the Babylonian new year began in March, not January), they promised the gods, most likely trying to leverage better growing conditions, that in the new year, they would pay off their debts and return any objects they had borrowed. Well, obviously most people could not keep those kinds of promises; who among us can ever totally pay off our credit cards and who among us — be honest, dear Readers! — who among us does not have at least one old Blockbuster video stashed away somewhere in the basement which was borrowed but never returned?
Resolutions over time
Over the past four millennia, our lists of New Year’s resolutions have changed dramatically, but we haven’t come up with easier resolutions because although the lists have changed, the success rate has not; it’s exactly the same as it was 4,000 years ago in Babylon! In 2022, still only eight percent of people surveyed reported success in keeping their 2021 resolutions. And an eight percent success rate means a 92 percent failure rate, quite a heavy statistic.
And speaking of heavy, shedding pounds is the number one resolution appearing at the top of modern New Year’s resolution lists across the globe! Google tells me the other most-resolved items on world-wide lists include exercising more, drinking less, eating healthier, and scoring tickets to a Taylor Swift concert.
Hmmmmm . . . In 4,000 short years, we went from resolving to be more responsible, more moral people to resolving to be . . . to be more attractive people?
I must confess, I’m one of those people who resolves every January to lose those “last 15 pounds.” I finally
succeeded in losing them this year, but it was a hollow victory. No fireworks went off when the bathroom scales announced I’d reached my goal; no choirs of angels sang “Alleluia” in Macy’s dressing room when for the first time in 60 years I fit into a size 6 dress. In fact, I felt rather depressed.
I would have felt better about myself if I had paid off all my debts and if I had returned everything I’d borrowed.
I have a good friend who often sends me a thinking-of-you card on days when I need it the most; I should resolve to repay her with a card or two to let her know how much I appreciate her kindness and support.
I frequently borrow Heavenly time and use it for Earthly purposes — aren’t we all living on borrowed time? — but then neglect to return that time to the Lord for His purposes.
The Babylonian Exile was no doubt a controversial move to have made back in 600 BCE (although we know God often uses our enemies to teach us a lesson), but if we can forget about that for a minute, we must acknowledge that the ancient Babylonians were pretty darn smart and way ahead of their time. They came up with the legal system called Hammurabi’s Code, they made great advances in mathematics, they invented the calendar system, and they revolutionized irrigation and agricultural practices. If they were right about so many important things, perhaps they were right about New Year’s resolutions too.
Resolutions today
And so, what shall we resolve to do in 2024 to become the best people we were meant to be?
There are currently about eight billion people in the world. Eight percent of eight billion is roughly 640 million. So, if 640 million of us succeeded in keeping resolutions designed to improve the content of our character and not just the beauty of our bodies, we just might make the world a better place in which to live.
Merry Christmas, dear Readers, happy New Year, and as that ancient Babylonian Tiny Tim said, “God bless us, every one!”