New Year Resolutions

Well, folks. A new year is upon us. Time to take inventory of the good, the bad, and yes, the awesome!

For some, 2025 was a rough year, easily worth leaving behind; for others, the year wasn’t so bad, perhaps the kind one can build from. Regardless of the narrative, there’s a way to find footing and advance with confidence into the new year. While the steps are unique depending on the person and situation, there exists a holy outline from which we can corporately adhere; hence, why I’m sparing no time (and expense) in publishing this post.

As always, let’s dive in…

Some of you may recall last year’s post, in which I challenged us to invite God into our midst and request a divine reset. This year, my thoughts are more centered on the notion presented to us in Psalm 37:5 and Proverbs 16:3.

“Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.” ~ Psalm 37:5
“Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” ~ Proverbs 16:3

Assessing these two passages¹, one quickly notes how these passages emphasize ‘commit’; specifically, we’re not called to trust God, then commit our ways, but to commit our ways and let God establish our steps as we trust. To me, this order is more than significant; it’s a complete game-changer. Often, when we perceive our faith as ‘half-mast’, we assume we must raise it to ‘full’ before we can ask God for anything, be it clarity, an intervention, or a modicum of peace. However, that’s not at all what the Psalmist is suggesting.

Rather, his imploration for us is to commit our ways to the Lord, regardless of how we feel, and marvel as He reveals and straightens our paths. Granted, this doesn’t mean the journey will be easy or lack detours and scenic routes. Certainly, there may be times when we struggle out of the gate, get off track, and/or wander into uncalled/unchartered territory; however, the beauty of committing our way unto the Lord is not only its simple starting point but in its liberating follow-through. If you ever wonder what you have to lose by clinging to Jesus, the answer is always a detriment to where you want to go and, more importantly, who you are designed to be. I’m looking at you, pride, ego, fear, jealousy, and anger, just to name a few.

I don’t know about you, but I desire to tap into holy curiosity more in 2026 than ever before. Sometimes, I succumb to partial surrender and stray from steadfast belief. It happens to the best of us. Yet, as long as I have breath, I long to praise the Lord from a heart that desires integrity and congruity in all things.

God save me from the places, even curses of old, that sought to discourage me past the point of fair application. Keep me steady on the straight and narrow, so I may be vertically anchored while pointing people to Jesus as the appropriate steps are taken. I may not fully grasp how the journey has evolved, I may not know where I’m going, and I may struggle with occasional distractions. But Christ in me, the hope of glory, I will not give up on the God who doesn’t give up on me. I may not understand the next move or where I’m at; however, I can still choose to reset and abide in you as I pour out my aims, goals, and hurts.

To those who felt 2025 was a ‘step back’ kind of year, I want to encourage you not to lose hope, to seek help and wisdom, and to abandon any internal space where hate and pride may be marinating. I say this as one who struggled last year, believing the lie that God abandoned him through the saints and past vocational misplacements.

Yet, as one who is back in counseling for the first time post-Jubilee, I employ you, my friends, not to grow weary. By all means, in prayer, and with God, don’t be overcome by evil or withhold love to your brother. Instead, confess hope, encourage each other, and press onward with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. From there, pause, be still, and watch what God will do. You got this, as hard as it may be to believe right now.

He will renew your strength, revive your bones, and reset your course. All you have to do is submit and surrender.

Cover graphic creds: AI iStock/Canva

Footnotes

Also see Proverbs 16:9; Psalm 32:8

Recently, I was chatting with a former colleague, listening to him recount a year that started with high hopes but ultimately slid off the rails. You talk about a ‘bear year’ bingo board; this mini testimony had it all, from unforeseen conflicts and unprecedented struggles to wrong turns at the wrong times despite best intentions. If disappointment had a voice, no question, I was hearing and feeling it.

Perhaps some of you have been in that situation, having to pull wisdom from past pain, looking to make an encouraging connection. If so, you know the posture can be humbling.

Addressing my friend, the immediate challenge wasn’t so much accessing my library of relatable lows but conveying hope in a way that didn’t come across as cliché. For instance, I generally agree with the colloquialism, ‘It’s not about how you start but how you finish’. In the spirit of holy calibration, one has nothing but fear to lose when full surrender meets desperation and repentance. Yet often the trouble in voicing this is the embedded assumption that the other side knows what to do. How does one finish a year strong? Where is Jesus when we need Him to shine light on the way we’re to go? Those are a few of several key questions we should be asking this time of year, and in some instances, be willing to navigate with certain people God puts in our lives.

To me, finishing a year strong is less about the existing year and more about the upcoming year. ‘Tis why I love December as much as I do. While there’s plenty to celebrate, there’s the covering of Advent as a means to bless the Lord and a prompt to realign with Him. Yes, Christmas traditions are worthwhile, but so is the net effect of taking inventory of unhealthy patterns, breaking off agreements with the enemy, and posturing in gratitude to what saves.

Wherever we find ourselves, I encourage us to look this year in the mirror and declare it as one God can use. What has happened, good or bad, doesn’t define us. Even if there have been discouraging developments, we must not exalt them to the point our faith erodes but rather see them as motivation to lay our all at Jesus’ feet. We may not feel we have much to give, we may wrestle with our sense of purpose and future from our current perspectives; however, when we consider Christmas is the celebration of Jesus incarnate – the reason for hope, the beginning of salvation, the reality of reconciliation – we understand how these weeks of anticipation can extend into the new year where fresh starts and clean slates await.

Accordingly, as we delight in God’s sovereignty this Christmas, let’s be mindful of what this Advent season can ignite. Immanuel, God with us in storm and fire, merry and bright, there’s nothing He can’t do to make things right. Still, we must accept our call to make Him room; hence, why we must embrace Him as ‘present’. The same God who understands where and why you are is the same God who gave His only Son to purchase and preserve you at a price. You don’t have to wait until New Year’s to recommit your ways. Start now, start today, and watch what God will do.