Should Christians make New Year’s resolutions?

Hey, happy New Year, everyone. We hope 2026 is off to a fantastic start for all of you. Um, since it’s the beginning of the year, a lot of times Christians have the question, should we make New Year’s resolutions? Specifically as Christians, should we make New Year’s resolutions? Um, and I would say that likely depends on you, um, and and and your personality, your mindset. Um, certainly in scripture, we see people make vows. Um, both Old and New Testament, people make vows.

So it is okay, you know, to to set forward your for yourself a goal that you’re working on with God. There’s certainly nothing inherently wrong with that. Um, but I would it doesn’t say we have to. That’s another observation. But I’d also take uh a step back and ask what does a New Year’s resolution even mean to you?

Why why are you making one? Um, is it because you somehow uh feel, you know, unworthy, less than, you know, you need to to get a you need to catch up with others. You’re, you know, you feel behind as a person and this is the thing.

If you accomplish your goal, then this is the thing that is going to make you feel um like you like you’re worth something, like, you know, like you matter, like you’ve like you’ve measured up, like you’ve arrived, like you’re, you know, significant or, you know, it’ll give you the security or the peace that you need. Like this is this is what has to happen in your life for you to get there. Um, if that’s what a New Year’s resolution means to you, then do not make a New Year’s resolution. Um, you’re going down um kind of a dark path if if you if you pursue that.

What you need to do is take a step back into into God’s grace that uh that you are secure, that you are worthy, that you matter, that you’re significant, you know, that you have arrived, not because of anything you do, not because of anything you ever will do, but because of what Christ did in your place. So you need to get to the point where you are resting in in in the reality of what Jesus has already done for you. That that you can that you can never do anything to make yourself arrive more or merit um more goodness. Um, all that’s already been provided. Um, Jesus has taken care of everything, okay? You but then once you get to the place that you are resting in what Christ has done for you, uh God works with us. Uh, he he speaks about all realms of our lives. Um, you know, I with our with our relationships, with our careers, with our health, with our um spiritual relationship with him, with uh with with everything. God cares about all aspects of our lives and he likely has next steps for us um in every single one of those realms.

And so the start of the year is a perfect time to pause, sit with him, talk uh about what might be next in all of these different areas and to kind of schedule out, schedule out a plan for what you believe he thinks is next. Um, but then, um, going back to the first point, very often we do not fulfill our New Year’s resolutions, right?

We fail at them just like we fail at God’s law. A lot of times, you know, we don’t get to the finish line. Um, and then when that happens, once again, you need to medicate your heart with the gospel, that you are accepted, included, welcomed, cherished, not because you were going to fulfill some task on your list that you felt God led you to do, but because of what Christ has done um in your place. And and then, you know, you just get up and keep moving in the direction that you thought that he led you, um, kind of without the burden of shame that you didn’t make it the first time. Um, so it can be healthy, uh, with some guardrails around it, or it can be, New Year’s resolutions can be very unhealthy depending uh kind of on where you are um in in your heart and in your spirit right now.

So we hope that’s helpful, and we’ll see you next time.