Personal Covenanting
As you began the 2025 calendar year, surely you heard friends engaging in the annual tradition of making New Year’s resolutions. Often, these resolutions involve personal commitments to such matters as exercise, weight loss, and financial practices. According to a study by Columbia University, only about 25% of people remain committed to their resolutions after a month, and more than 90% fail to complete their resolutions within a year.
New Year’s resolutions fail because, like a black hole, they are too self-absorbed. So, ask yourself these questions. Could you benefit from a better plan? A plan that has Biblical precedent? One that even God Himself uses? I speak of the practice of a personal covenant.
As we consider personal covenanting, we will distinguish between this practice and New Year’s resolutions. Next, we will see God’s own commitment to covenanting. We will then look at examples of personal covenants in the Scriptures and elsewhere. Finally, guidelines about making personal covenants will be offered.
The Difference Between Resolutions and Personal Covenanting
As alluded to above, New Year’s resolutions are often commitments to self-improvement that rely on an individual’s willpower. Beyond their worldly focus, the spiritual realities we all face are not considered. The corruption of human flesh following Adam’s fall the temptations of the evil one, the need to rely on the mercies of God, and seeking Christ’s kingdom are not recognized. Such resolutions are fueled by pride, and when success is accomplished, it leads to sinful boasting.
In contrast, let me offer a one-sentence definition of personal covenanting.
Personal covenanting is the practice of a Christian responding solemnly, often accompanied by prayer and fasting, to God’s covenant of grace where he expresses in writing his confession of sin and profession of faith in the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, makes Scriptural-based vows and commitments on how he will live in holiness and obedience unto God the Father, and declares his reliance upon the Holy Spirit to fulfill his promises.
Personal covenanting is a more God-honoring, grace-reliant, serious commitment of life to Christ than an annual resolution.
This article was first published in the February 2025 issue of "Good News," the magazine of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Scotland. Please go to the link and access pages 5-7 to read the entire article.
