Exhortations, Not Resolutions
I haven’t checked, but I’m sure that the crowd at the YMCA has already dispersed. Experts say that most New Year’s resolutions fail by the second Friday … in January! It’s likely that you and I need more than a sincere resolution; we need a Bible exhortation.
- “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6.33-34)
- “We exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.” (1 Thessalonians 2.12)
- “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. (Colossians 3.12-13)
- “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” (Ephesians 4.29)
- “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3.13-14)
- “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” (Philippians 4.8)
- “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (1 John 2.15)
If you have a favorite Bible exhortation not included here, that’s great. Work on that one.
I do have one important thing to mention … you cannot pick anyone else’s exhortation. No matter how much you love them, no matter how convinced you of the exhortation they really need, it’s not your place. One more consideration: remember that God wants the best for us and Satan wants only to destroy. Please do not select too many exhortations and set yourself up to fail. Pick one or two, pray about God’s will for you in 2026, celebrate your progress toward a specific exhortation, then watch God bless your life.