A trail of unfulfilled undertakings doesn’t cancel a future marked by fruitful growth and change when you choose to walk in the strength of community.
“You crown the year with your good blessings, and you leave abundance in your wake.” — Psalm 65:11 (NET)
What happened to the resolve?
What happened to the gumption and courage to say, “I want change”—to believe in new beginnings?
When I preached on Sundays years ago, I used to ask a simple question: “How many of you made a New Year’s resolution?” At first, nearly half the room would raise their hands. But over the years, fewer hands went up. Eventually, almost none.
The New Year resolution didn’t disappear because people stopped wanting change. I think it faded because people grew skeptical—worn down by unmet goals, unfinished plans, and the quiet belief that this time won’t be any different.
Why try?
Change Is Hard to Do Alone
I have learned that meaningful change is rarely sustained in isolation. That’s one of the reasons I love nonprofits. Nonprofits are about community, and community is powerful.
I know that if I want to grow, I need others—people who will walk with me, challenge me, and keep me honest. I believe the same is true for all of us.
That’s why people find training partners.
Why they hire accountability coaches.
Why the best growth happens in groups.
I tend to meander through life. I like to stroll. My wife, on the other hand, sprints when she walks. When I’m tempted to wander, she moves with purpose. We don’t walk together often, but when we do my pace quickens, my heart pumps more proudly, and we cover more ground.
Likewise, I’ve recognized that some of my most meaningful seasons of change came when I worked alongside someone who moved at a faster pace than I did. Their energy and encouragement made all the difference.
If you’re longing for change in areas of your life but see a trail of abandoned resolutions behind you, know this: you can try again this New Year, and don’t have to walk it alone.
God Is Deeply Interested in Your New Year
God is not indifferent to this season. He is deeply interested in what’s ahead.
- He has placed people around you to help carry the load.
Are you are willing to ask for or accept their assistance? - He has placed you in the lives of others.
Are you are willing to be courageous and step out of your comfort zone?
It is worth the risk.
God is calling us to lead boldly this year.
To move forward with intentionality.
To have a plan—not driven by pressure, but by purpose.
I’ll be honest: I’m not immune to the temptation to sit this one out. It’s less risky.
And watching others is easier. Who doesn’t enjoy people-watching?
But I’ve learned something over time: It’s far more rewarding to participate and pursue—even if goals aren’t fully realized—than to watch others go for it and live out their calling to the best of their ability with determination and grit.
Be an Enthusiast, Not a Spectator
When I’m called on to coach or teach, I never want to be posture myself as the expert standing above others. I want to be an enthusiast—walking alongside others in the work.
I want to operate, not spectate.
I want to experiment and learn, even if it means some failure on the way to growth.
The truth is, growth requires both motion and purposeful rest. I’ve seen this play out in my life over and over again.
Through the long series of successes, hard lessons, and failures, I’ve learned the best approach to growth and life is to:
- abide, rest, and find my strength in the Lord,
- run as the Holy Spirit directs,
- lean on others,
- challenge myself, and
encourage those around me
Committed to the Impossible
This year, I’m committed to doing the impossible.
Not because I’m more driven or better than others.
Not because I’m more organized—though I’m striving to grow there, too.
I’m committed because the impossible is the place where we are forced to slow down long enough to seek God, and where He tarries long enough for us to clearly behold His power and glory.
The impossible is where godly dependence replaces self-reliance.
Where weakness becomes strength.
Where independence yields to the gift of community.
Where faith becomes fruitful.
It’s where the God of miracles takes the baton and flies.
A New Invitation
If you’re tired of resolutions that fall away…
If you long for change but know all too well you can’t walk it alone…
If you’re willing to experiment and participate rather than merely spectate…
We would love to walk with you.
Not as experts, but as fellow enthusiasts—dreaming, building, and trusting God to do “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.”
Because new beginnings don’t require perfect resolve. They simply require courage, community, and a willingness to take the first step forward.