Five Ways to Undo Resolutions and Do This Instead

1. Focus on spiritual growth rather than things that are out of your control. You are limited by finances, physical ailments, tangled relationships, and so on. You can’t resolve your way into any certain outcome. Outcomes are up to God. However, you are in control of your character. You can resolve to become kinder, more forgiving, more humble, and more grateful.

2. Forget what is behind. You had a bad year? Don’t let it hold you back. Each year brings its own challenges and victories. You can’t change the past, but the past can change you, holding you captive and discouraging you. Let it go so you can move forward—strain toward what is ahead. If you are a believer, what lies ahead is the most amazing experience you will ever have. You are being called heavenward. Focus forward!

3. Press onward toward the goal. The prize is heaven. God’s will for you is “good” no matter what you are going through. He wants you in heaven. Keep pressing toward that goal. There is still a call to obedience even though you are saved by grace. “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Phil 3:14). “If you love me, you will obey what I command” (John 14:15).

4. Rejoice in the Lord. Anxiety is quelled when you rejoice, when you are thankful, when you pray—spiritual disciplines that deepen your trust in God’s plan for the new year. In the book, Take the Stairs, Rory Vaden asks, “The last time you came up to a set of stairs and an escalator, did you Take the Stairs? If you’re like 95% of the world, then you probably didn’t. Most people don’t; most of the time we look for shortcuts.” I’ve noticed this tendency in myself and others to take shortcuts with spiritual disciplines. Do you look for 5-10-minute devotions with the Lord in a Bible app? Growth with God is through relationship. How close would you be to your spouse or child if you spent only 5-10 minutes per day with them? So, why consider giving less to God? Rejoice! Give thanks! Pray! Being with Jesus is a privilege, not a burden. Don’t shortcut him.

5. Think. Think. Think. A particular honey bear named Pooh had to repeatedly remind himself where he had last put his honey pot. Is it in the cabinet? At Rabbit’s place? “Think, think, think,” he said, gently tapping his brain. We are like this forgetful, but lovable bear. If you remind yourself daily to think about whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy (Phil 4:8), you are training your brain, rewiring it. Literally. Neuroscience shows that, because of the plasticity of your brain, you can change your brain with your thoughts. God made you with the ability to change the direction of your life according to what you think about.

If you focus on Jesus’ way, he can cause you to grow. He is the way, the truth, and the life (Jn 14:6). Spend time with him and know it is he who guides your growth.

Darci J. Steiner is the author of the award-winning biblically-based book Beauty Beyond the Thorns: Discovering Gifts in Suffering. She began writing as a way to process her pain after becoming disabled. Darci writes to encourage others always to hold on to hope. Darci is an author, inspirational speaker, and nutritionist. She loves spending time with her husband, two adult daughters, and three grandchildren. Please visit www.darcijsteiner.com to learn about her books and speaking details.

Photo by ChatGPT

Books by Darci Steiner:

If you are searching for hope amidst a trial, Beauty Beyond the Thorns offers a transformative perspective as to where it can be found. Darci weaves biblical and modern day stories, including her arduous journey through chronic pain, to demonstrate how God can turn life’s unexpected curveballs into victorious home runs. This is a story about the upside of suffering.

Beauty Beyond the Thorns Study Guide: Discovering Gifts in Suffering is a companion to the book, Beauty Beyond the Thorns: Discovering Gifts in Suffering. In this study guide, you will be led to write about your journey of suffering so that you can find the beauty often hidden behind hardship. Each chapter draws information from the book, encouraging you to personalize its teachings so you not only read stories of healing, but you also experience personal healing.