“What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rom 8:31)

Each New Year’s Day, we make resolutions that we don’t keep. We have good intentions – to be more intentional or to lose weight – but inevitably, we give up after a few weeks. Only eight percent of us keep our resolutions. There are many reasons for this, including trying to make large changes without a fully-formed plan to make smaller changes along the way. Instead of looking at our setbacks as failures, we should use them as a catalyst to move forward.

For the last several years, instead of setting a New Year’s resolution, I have asked the Lord to help me choose one word that I can focus on all year long. One year, my word was trust. Another year, it was confidence. This year, my word is BOLD.

When I focus on one word instead of numerous resolutions, I find that I am more likely to reach my goals. The word BOLD speaks to me in many ways – I need to be bold in my actions toward others, in making decisions, and in speaking out about Christ’s love and sacrifice for us.

I still have goals that I would like to meet, but when God places a word in front of me, my goals fall in line with his. Framed in the context of this word, I know that God is challenging me to grow. That doesn’t mean that I won’t get distracted or discouraged, but that God will be there to help me through each task. He will be there all year long no matter the challenges that life brings, and he will give me the boldness that I need to give it all to him.

Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, please go with me on the journeys this year will bring. Help me to move boldly into the future with you by my side. Amen.