Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ESV

As we ring in the New Year, we are typically focused on the things we don’t like with vows to ourselves to make changes. We make resolutions. We determine that we will make these positive changes in our lives and our lives will be better for it.

The problem with this is breaking these resolutions has become so commonplace, there is a holiday dedicated to it. Who knew? I read this on Yahoo today. January 17th is designated as Ditch New Year’s Resolution Day. This is the time when many people will abandon their resolutions for the New Year.

I would like to propose an alternative solution to you. Instead of finding fault in what went wrong last year, why not focus on what went right? Why not vow to praise God for all the good He has done for you in 2023? Just in this moment, I can think of so many things God so richly blessed us with during this past year. The greatest being a beautiful, healthy granddaughter! There are many other things as well.

I have decided that before I concern myself with the New Year, I am going to thank God for all He did for us in this year.

I am going to remind myself how even the things that seemed bad worked out for our good.

I ask you to join me in giving thanks continually, rejoicing always and praying without ceasing. When we commit to grow into a deeper relationship with the Lord, we cannot fail. We can pray for Him to keep us focused on Him. We can pray for Him to not allow distractions to get in our way.

As you reflect on this past year, think about things that may have gone wrong. God gives us these things as a learning experience. What did you learn from it?

Think about God’s blessings on your life. Think about the times God has protected you. Think about how much God loves us. He gave His only begotten Son, so if we choose to believe in Him, we can have eternal life.

Ring in the New Year with a heart filled with gratitude. Trust in God to be with you as you go through this New Year.

There is a saying I read on Facebook that I truly appreciate. It says, “Let your hands be so full of blessings you can’t hold on to grudges.”

Let go of all that may hinder your walk with Christ. Take hold of His righteous right hand and He will uphold you (Isaiah 41:10).

Don’t spend all your time worrying about what went wrong. We can’t change the past. Focus on all God has done for you. Trust in Him to take good care of you. Put Him first in your life. Continually pray for Him to give you strength and guidance. Rejoice in all that He is and all that he does for us. Give thanks always because we know that even in bad times God is working things out for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

My prayer for you is for you to bring in this New Year with a spirit of humility and gratitude.

Have a great day!