Stepping into the New Year with trust …

As the New Year approaches, many of us feel the pull to make resolutions. It’s a familiar tradition: a moment to pause and commit ourselves to new goals, healthier habits, or bold ambitions for the year ahead.

But let’s be honest: making a resolution isn’t the hard part. The real challenge lies in sticking to it. As someone once remarked, “New Year’s resolutions come in for a good deal of ridicule, but the resolutions themselves are all right. The ridicule comes from the irresolution that leads to breaking them so easily.”

At the heart of this struggle often lies our deep-seated desire to “know everything” before we begin. We want all the facts, all the guarantees, and all the certainty before we commit. But here’s the truth: we’re not omniscient (all-knowing). Unlike God, we cannot see the end from the beginning. And that uncertainty often becomes the excuse we use to avoid starting, or to give up when the road gets tough.

Thankfully, Scripture offers us wisdom and a way forward:

“The Lord directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way?” Proverbs 20:24.

This verse reminds us that God knows what we do not. Our job isn’t to understand every twist and turn before we begin, it’s to trust the One who does. The New Year invites us to embrace that trust. Instead of becoming paralyzed by what we don’t know, we can step forward in faith, knowing that God is guiding us.

If you’re aiming to accomplish something meaningful this year, start with this: take the first step, even if the path ahead isn’t fully clear. You won’t understand everything along the way, but you don’t need to because God does.

So, as the New Year dawns, let go of the need for perfect understanding. Instead, resolve to move forward, trusting that the Lord will direct your steps every step of the way.

Scotty