New Year's Resolutions...To Make or Not To Make?

Happy New Year! 2025 has arrived and some of us can’t believe it.  After all, it seems as if we just rang in 2024…or 1998 for that matter (or whatever year is fresh in your mind).  For sure, time can seem to fly, especially as one gets to be a bit older. Nonetheless, here we are at the start of a new year. 

Of course, this is the time of year that people are making their resolutions and setting their goals for the year to come. The gym will be a bit more crowded. Dieting begins. Career goals and educational goals will be laid out. Many people will begin new Bible reading plans or commit to a more consistent devotional life. And the list of resolutions and goals can go on and on. But the question is, how many people will continue to pursue their goals and fulfill their resolutions as the year goes on? 

You know how it normally goes: By the end of February the crowd in the gym has thinned out a bit, old eating habits return, and many of the other start-of-the-year commitments begin to wane. Does that mean it’s wrong to make New Year’s resolutions? Does the chance of failure to keep our commitments mean they ought not be made? I don’t think so. 

If I may, allow me to give us a word of advice when it comes to such resolutions and commitments. Rather than making a big resolution for the year, why not try to do so for the first month of the year—e.g. For the month of January I will walk twenty minutes per day, not drink any soda, and read my Bible fifteen minutes per day. Then on February 1, you can renew or tweak your resolution. And if your ultimate goal is something larger (e.g. finishing your degree by the end of the year), you can still break it down into shorter goals that will eventually get you across the finish line.  After all, all the major changes that take place within our lives are most often the result of the small commitments we make and the small steps we take. 

Finally, allow me to encourage you to place all of your resolutions, goals, and commitments into God’s hands. Allow him to order your steps through this coming year. To do so, you might want to ask questions like, “What would he want from my life in 2025? What would he want me to achieve? How would he want me to live?” The answer to those questions might include a healthier lifestyle, a more consistent devotional life, or even a new career path or ministry. Whatever the case, we entrust our lives—and especially this new year—into his hands. 

Let’s remember the words of the Psalmist, “Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:3-4 – NIV) 

Happy New Year! And may you experience the hand of God upon your life throughout 2025. 

Have a great day! 

- Pastor Tim Harris