“You are enough.”

“Believe in yourself.”

“This is your year.”

“Honor your growth.”

“Live your truth.”

“Because you’re worth it.”

Self-empowerment rules the day. In fact, the love (and idolatry) of self has reigned in the heart of humanity ever since the deceptor first suggested to Eve, “You will be like God.”

The religion of self is displayed at the traffic signal, on the internet, and in the “family room” angled toward the giant flatscreen. Its language is universal and its customs eternal. No region or season escapes its influence. Birthdays, graduations, weddings… each belong to the individual, not the family, the community, the couple −certainly not to God. Seasons and holidays, the same. What are you going to do with “your summer?” How was “your turkey-day?” What are you going to do with “your holiday season?” What do “you want” for Christmas? What are “your resolutions” for the new year? I am in no way exempt; these phrases escape my own mouth, too.

The tragic twist is that this way of life, beginning to end, is stuffed to bursting with nothingness.

We affirm, “I am enough” as we struggle with feelings of inadequacy.

We “believe in ourselves” which translates to having faith in disappointment on repeat.

We claim each year as our own and find that indeed we feel very much alone.

We “honor our growth” and find shame in every setback.

We “live our truth” even as it shifts and changes under our feet.

“Because we’re worth it,” we remind ourselves between bouts of worthlessness.

This is why Jesus assured us: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” When we believe on Him, honor Him, hope in Him, and live for Him, everything changes.

“You are enough?” No. He is enough. So we don’t have to be. What a load off.

“Believe in yourself?” Surely not. Believe in Him! Because everyone else will let us down. We will even let ourselves down. It’s called sin.

“It’s your year?” May it never be. It’s the year of our Lord! What fullness this brings.

“Honor your growth?” Honor the Lord and His unchanging faithfulness.

“Because you’re worth it?” His worth is available to all. He has paid the price for our sins. We are not worthy, nor do we deserve anything on our own merit. But we can be forgiven and made worthy through Him. We can be called sons and daughters of the Most High. “For the wages of sin is death; but the free gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ, our Lord.” -Romans 6:23

Seeking to be served only reaps want, confusion, loneliness, disappointment, and worthlessness. Submitting to the King, seeking first His kingdom, and serving Him with all our heart, soul, and mind, brings fullness of joy, comfort, peace, and purpose.

So, this year, instead of setting New Year’s Resolutions that rely solely on our own power, join us in New Year’s Supplications as we seek to align our hearts’ desires with the Lord’s, asking Him to direct our paths and “establish the work of our hands” for 2026.

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NEW YEARS’ SUPPLICATIONS

~New Year’s Activity for Christian Families~

Wait, are New Year’s Resolutions BAD? Do we even need a Christian alternative?

This is a complicated question with, I think, an even more complicated answer. As much as we mere mortals love for things to be black and white, our God is a God of boundless color. We live in a creation of diversity, extremes, nuance, and mystery.

New Year’s Resolutions, yay or nay? Here’s my attempt at an answer anyway… in the form of a discussion:

1.) Jesus said in Matthew 6:34: “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

If we shouldn’t worry about tomorrow, does that mean we shouldn’t plan for tomorrow either, let alone for the whole year?

2.) Psalm 20:4 says, “May He grant you your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans!”

So, we shouldn’t worry, but we should make plans, yes?

3.) According to Proverbs 16:9, “The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.”

So, we should make plans in the Lord’s counsel but then ultimately give those plans entirely over to Him and submit to His will, right? Or, if we are walking with the Lord, will our desires already be aligned with His and will our steps be directed accordingly? My personal opinion is that it is a swinging door; the Lord will instill desires in our hearts but we must also continually align our hearts to His.

Either way, how does this look in relation to setting intentions for the New Year?

4.) Psalm 27:1-2 declares that: “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman keeps awake in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to retire late, to eat the bread of painful labors; for He gives to His beloved even in his sleep.”

So, it is good then to rise early, retire late, or labor hard at our plan only when our plans are aligned with the Lord’s: only if He has ordained our steps. So, whether we make resolutions or not, we Christians should ask ourselves who we are looking to serve in our goals, plans, and work in the days, months, and year ahead.

5.) Colossians 3:23-24 says, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

Perhaps we can conclude that while goals and resolutions are not “bad” in and of themselves, anything can be “bad” when focused purely on self. We must remember: it is the Lord Christ whom we serve.

6.) Let’s take care of that right now and declare Joshua 24:15 for the year ahead: “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

But wait. We still haven’t discussed how we should go about setting goals and intentions as Christians, New Year’s or otherwise.

7.) Philippians 4:6-7 reminds us: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

I suggest we skip the resolutions and make requests instead; asking it of the Lord and trusting Him to direct our steps and give us the desires of our hearts. Let us enter supplication and thanksgiving. And then? May we reap peace instead of stress in the year ahead. May our hearts and minds be guarded in Him.

Finally, we ask the words of Psalm 90:17 for the year ahead:

“May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us −yes, establish the work of our hands.”

*NOTE: At the time the psalmist wrote the above passage, most people were laborers or craftsmen, solely dependent on the work of their hands. In our modern day, of course, there are all kinds of vocations. Yes, hand skills are still alive and celebrated (and on trend lately), but with technological advancement, fewer people are working with their hands and more and more of us make our livings or do our “work” in other ways, often using the mind instead of the hands. Inspired by Psalm 90:17, our family has themed this supplications activity around a modern, more open-ended interpretation of the passage to include all parts of our body inside and out. We invite you to join us in asking God to “establish the work of our…” minds, hearts, hands, and feet!

Download the journal activity for free here:

Simply download, print, fill out, and submit to the Lord!

Thank you for reading. May God establish the work of your hands, hearts, and minds in the year ahead, and to Him may all the glory be given!

Love, ~Candace Arden~