A Simple Resolution for the New Year

By: Rob Genin

With the calendar flipping to 2026, there are several things I can be confident of: One, I will still be writing 2025 on things for weeks. Two, many resolutions will be made in the next few days. While some make fun of these resolutions because many are not kept, this is an important time to make new and significant efforts. So, what are you going to put our intentionality and effort into in 2026?

34 percent of all new year’s resolutions have to do with weight loss, and almost half (48%) have to do with fitness in general. Certainly, fitness and health are important – they increase our capacity and make us more alert and ready to take on other challenges. However, they are not ultimate. The apostle Paul told his disciple Timothy, “Physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come” (1 Tim 4:8).

So, what resolution can I make that will have significant value for my life today, and for the future? I will share one that I am praying for in 2026, and I hope it will help you:

“God, through the work of Jesus and the presence of your Holy Spirit, help me to listen to your word this year, and to be obedient to what I hear you say.”

This might seem too simple. But I know myself. My biggest challenges are around the simple truths that I am aware of but not living out with consistency. Things like, “Do not repay evil for evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:19) or “Outdo one another in showing honor” (Romans 12:10), or “do not let the sun go down on your anger” (Ephesians 4:26).

I am not sure where you are in your journey – but in my family, in my work, and in my ordinary life, the biggest challenges I see are being simply faithful to the truth things which God has already made plain to me in His Word. So, my resolution for this year is to make progress in this simple thing – to grow in obedience to the simple and clear teachings of God’s Word.

This is not a works-based faith. This is why Jesus came: “But now he [God] has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight….” (Colossians 1:22). Jesus came so that those who trust in Him are forgiven of their sins and are also freed from the enslaving patterns of sin.

For the New Year, I hope in your work and in every area of life, you can make a resolution to follow the simple truth of scripture, even in all the complex situations you will face. I hope it will bear good fruit in your life and the lives of many others!