5 God-Honoring New Years Resolutions

With the new year quickly approaching, I’ve been spending a lot of time reflecting on what I’d like to change about my life in the coming year. From eating healthier to exercising more to being more creative, I thought my list of resolutions was just about complete; that is, until I realized something major was missing.

God.

While there’s nothing wrong with wanting to eat healthy or exercise more, scripture tells us that pursuing God should be our number one goal (1 Timothy 4:8). So if our faith truly is our first priority in life, shouldn’t it also be at the top of our resolutions lists?

With this in mind, I started to think again about the changes I could make in my life – but this time kept God at the center and used His word as the foundation. I was left with a number of resolutions that, while great to start working toward at any point in the year, are especially helpful to keep in mind as we move into the new year. Here are just a couple of ways you can resolve to live life closer to how God intended.

Trust God

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Go into this year with the intention of fully trusting God with your life. Whether it be with work, school, important decisions, or anything else, let go of the desire to control things on your own and instead depend on the promise of God’s perfect control. Remember: He’s got this.

Worry less

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)

If you’ve been carrying around the burden of worry for as long as you can remember, let this be the year you finally let it go. This goes hand in hand with the previous point: the more we trust God, the less inclined we are to worry. Anytime you notice an anxious thought floating around in your head, remind yourself that God’s got it under control and practice surrendering it to Him. It likely won’t come easy at first, but with time and continued prayer, these thoughts will begin to fade away.

Love others

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (John 13:34)

Jesus tells us that the second greatest commandment of all is to love others. Not only love others, but to love them as He has loved us – a love so deep and genuine that it transcends anything we can even comprehend. This year, make it a point to treat everyone with kindness, even those who frustrate you the most. Make your relationships intentional, give a helping hand when needed, or perhaps befriend someone you would typically ignore.

Treat your body as a temple

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

God tells us that our bodies are living, breathing temples of the Holy Spirit – so don’t you think we should treat them as such? This year, make a conscious effort to treat your body with more care. Fuel it with nourishing, wholesome foods, incorporate a few minutes of exercise into your daily routine, or make it a point to drink more water. When the common New Year’s resolution of eating healthier/exercising more is centered on honoring God, we become that much more likely to achieve it.

Make spending time with God a priority

Spending time with God and growing in your personal relationship with Him is key to making any of these other resolutions possible. Philippians 4:13 tells us that through Christ, we can do all things. So as you head into this new year, pray that He supply you with the strength and wisdom you need to grow in your resolutions and live life as He planned.