resolutions for women, by women
Check out this picture of one of my sister in law — whenever I see it I feel inspired to do something awesome.
Did anyone else notice the facebook news feed today? January has others feeling inspired too. Everyone was squawking about their new year’s resolutions, everything from reading through the Bible in a year to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. I was reminded of all my abandoned resolutions in years gone by. It was a long flash-back of valiant attempts, most of them discarded by February. Today I came across something I thought was pure gold! I immediately wanted to share it with all the ladies in my life. True Woman’s blog had a list of resolutions that seem worth it in light of eternity (click here for a direct link to where they were originialy published). I also like the list that the blog on the website for Lies Young Women Believe had concocted for students (click here for resolutions aimed at highschool/college age girls). I’m looking forward to discussing these with my friend and the girls in our youth group. I feel energized to be working towards something valuable–I am especially intrigued by the “I will pursue holiness over my happiness this year.” I’m thinking that’s going to be the one to kick my butt.
1. I will praise God on good days and bad days this year.
“You are good, and what you do is good” (Psalm 119:68a).
When everything is going right, it’s easy to believe that God is good and to praise Him because of it. But when life gets tough we are tempted to question God’s goodness and “forget” to praise Him. When your life gets messy, you can choose to believe God’s Word rather than trusting your emotions and praise God in all circumstances.
2. I will live like I am deeply loved this year.
“The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness’” (Jeremiah 31:3).
Feeling unloved can have a huge impact on the way that we live. Specifically, believing the lie that no one cares about you can lead to depression, anxiety, and destructive behaviors. The Truth is that you are deeply loved by God. If you believe God’s love is real and receive it, it will transform your life.
3. I will pay less attention to what others think of me this year.
“For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be pure and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.”(Ephesians 1:4-6).
When a friend, a co-worker, or a loved one rejects us it’s easy to let that rock our world. It’s also easy to get wrapped up in trying to please the people around us in order to avoid that rejection. But God’s Truth is that He chose you and loved you enough to adopt you into His family. Choosing to fully embrace that Truth provides the perspective we need to be less concerned about what others think.
4. I won’t use stuff to make me feel good this year.
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1).
God is enough to satisfy your needs. If you have Him, you have everything you need. Believing this Truth allows you to stop trying to make yourself feel better by having the right stuff. You already have what you need.
5. I will do what it takes to overcome a sinful habit this year.
“For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because anyone who has died has been freed from sin” (Romans 6:6-7).
God’s Truth is that you do not have to sin, and every sinful pattern in your life can be overcome by the power of Christ living in you. That doesn’t mean that overcoming sin doesn’t often take work. You may need to confess your sin to a Christian friend or pastor, recruit an accountability partner, or remove a habit or relationship that has become a stumbling block in order to stop a sinful habit in your life. But God’s Word promises that you can receive freedom. Believe that Truth and then do what is necessary to remove sin.
6. I will embrace a God-sized challenge this year.
“I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13).
God has not commanded you to do anything that He will not give you the grace to do. That means, for example, that:
• there is no one you cannot love (Matthew 5:44)
• you can give thanks in all things (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
• there is no one you cannot forgive (Mark 11:25)
• you can be sexually pure (1 Thessalonians 4:3-4)
7. I will accept responsibility for my actions this year.
“The soul who sins is the one who will die. The son will not share the guilt of the father, nor will the father share the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous man will be credited to him, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against him” (Ezekiel 18:20).
You are responsible before God for your behavior, responses, and choices. You may not be able to control the things that happen to you this year, but you can control how you respond to the things God allows to come into your life. Making the choice to stop blaming others for the negative patterns in your life and to assume personal responsibility for your own choices will free you to obey God regardless of your circumstances.
8. I will be more concerned about my holiness than my happiness this year.
“Be holy because I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16).
Jesus didn’t die so that we could live a life for ourselves and our own pleasure, but so we could be free to live a life that pleases Him. Pleasing Him will sometimes require sacrifices. But any sacrifice we make is temporary, and cannot be compared with the joy and fulfillment we will gain in eternity. Only through seeking to be holy can we ever experience true happiness.
9. I will add praise, thanksgiving, listening, and confession into my prayer life this year.
“For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son” (Romans 8:29a).
God is more concerned about changing you and glorifying Himself than about solving your problems. With that Truth in mind, a balanced prayer life should include more than just asking God to fix your problems. Work to build a relationship with God that is not strictly focused on asking Him to change your circumstances.
10. I will focus more on Jesus and less on myself this year.
“He must become greater; I must become less” (John 3:30).
The Truth is it’s not about you; it’s all about Him. The world was not created to revolve around you. It was created to revolve around Christ. This year, look for every opportunity to make your life more about serving Jesus and attracting others to Him.




