Frank visited a farmer to talk to him about Christ. "I wouldn't come to church up there," the farmer said. "I know old Bill who claims to be a Christian and his sister Clara who claims to be a Christian and they don't live any differently from me. I'm as good as they are."
Everywhere the farmer went he was in the habit of talking about the hypocrites he knew in that Church. Months passed and Frank went to see the farmer again. "I want to buy a hog", he said. The farmer showed all his best hogs to him. Then they came to the runt. "I believe I will take that one," Frank said.
“If most people would trade their TV time for Bible reading, they’d finish the entire Bible in four weeks or less.” - Don Whitney
Keeping on track with your New Year's resolutions only matters if your resolutions are on track in the first place.
The birth of Jesus clearly did not bring the kind of peace to earth that people expected. Just the same, He did bring (and leave) us the peace we truly need.
Nothing in this world is required before we can have the Joy Jesus brings us.