Before You Make a Resolution, Make a Surrender
Every January, we resolve to do better.
We write lists. We set goals. We promise ourselves that this will be the year things finally change.
There’s nothing wrong with intention. Discipline can be a gift. Planning can be wise. But Scripture gently reminds us that transformation doesn’t begin with determination, it begins with surrender. Resolutions often focus on control. Surrender begins with trust.
We resolve to manage our habits, our time, our bodies, our futures. We try to map out the year ahead as if clarity will come from organization alone. But God has never asked us to perfect our plans, He asks us to place them in His hands.
That’s where real change starts. The danger of resolutions isn’t that they aim too high—it’s that they aim alone. We promise ourselves we’ll fix what’s broken, heal what’s hurting, and become who we think we should be. And when we fall short, we assume the failure is ours.
But Scripture shows us a different way. God doesn’t ask for your resolve. He asks for your heart. Surrender says, “God, I don’t know how to do this without You.” Surrender admits weakness without shame. Surrender invites God into the process instead of asking Him to bless it later.
And here’s the grace we often miss: God is far more committed to your growth than you are. He is patient with progress. He is present in the slow days. He is faithful even when motivation fades. Your spiritual life is not sustained by willpower, it’s sustained by relationship.
This doesn’t mean we stop setting goals. It means we stop letting them define our worth. It means we hold our plans loosely and our faith firmly. Because the best resolution you can make this year isn’t about becoming stronger—it’s about becoming more dependent.
A Gentle Reflection
Before you write your list, pause and ask:
What am I trying to control that God is asking me to trust Him with?
Which goals need to be surrendered before they’re pursued?
What would it look like to invite God into my intentions from the beginning?
Make plans. Dream boldly. Set intentions with wisdom.
But before you make a resolution.. Make a surrender.
