How are your 2025 New Year’s resolutions going? (Yeah, I hate that question, too.) I mean, good for you if you’re still working on the goals you set for yourself in January. And even better yet if, two months into 2025, you still keep your New Year’s resolutions and make progress toward your end-points.
But that’s not for me. I don’t keep up the tradition of making New Year’s resolutions. After the fatigue of holiday planning, gift-buying, and hosting, I don’t want more goal-oriented expectations as the new year starts. Instead, I loved what Christina Fennell, my children’s book editor at Pencil Shavings Editorial Services, suggested.
In her January newsletter, Christina presented a great alternative to New Year’s resolutions. Describing her frustration and fatigue after the December holidays, she chose to view January as a planning month. Instead of the “struggle to gain momentum on new goals,” she used the month for “rest and reflection” on the upcoming year. To me, that sounded like more of an overall refresh than a list of New Year’s resolutions.
What a great perspective! Like Christina, I am not ready to jump into new goals after the busy pace of December. But Christina’s idea of a reset sounds wise. For me, I would rather develop perspective and consider ideas for the upcoming year without finalizing plans or setting deadlines. As I thought about what Bible verse would best fit that rest and refresh, Acts 3:19 came to mind.
Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord. Acts 3:19
Before applying this verse, I want to put it into biblical context. In Acts 3, Peter spoke healing to a lame man in Jesus’s name and then addressed the miracle’s eyewitnesses. Peter identified Jesus as the Holy Righteous One and gave all credit to Him for the healing (Acts 3:14, 16). Chastising his fellow Israelites, Peter accused them of disowning Jesus and handing Him over to be killed (Acts 3:13-15). He reminded these Israelites of the Old Testament history that pointed to the Messiah. He spoke of God’s covenant with Abraham and the promises given by prophets like Moses and Samuel (Acts 3:18-25). Acts 3:11-26 records Peter’s message as he first identified the Israelites’ sins. Peter then confirmed Jesus as the Messiah, reminding the crowd that God’s covenant with Abraham would bless all people.
Wedged between Peter’s harsh message of murderous accusations and ignored prophetic messages is a call to action. Acts 3:19 presents the solution that applied to the Israelites in that crowd and also applies to us now. When we recognize our sin, our response should be to repent and turn to God. Then God will forgive, wiping out our sins like a disinfectant bleach wipe swipes through bathtub scum. Not only does our Lord offer forgiveness through the death and resurrection of Jesus, but He gives times of refreshing.
That is the New Year’s refresh and reset that I need. When the Holy Spirit convicts me of my sin, I need to pay attention and repent. Repentance means that I make a U-turn from my selfish pursuits and return to God in humility and obedience. When I ask for forgiveness, I don’t presume any personal merit. All I can do is ask Jesus to forgive me because He died on the cross to pay the price. Only His sacrifice can wipe my sins out, or in King David’s words, “blot out my transgressions” (Psalm 51:1). Blotting, wiping, swiping—it’s an instant reset. And then He refreshes. When Jesus forgives the sin that stands between me and Him, I am restored to fellowship with Him. And that refresh sets me back on the path to my goal of following Jesus wholeheartedly.
More than a resolution, Acts 3:19 outlines God’s refresh: turn to God and repent. Then, receive His forgiveness and let Him refresh you. That is a great plan for any time of year! What a faithful, loving God to offer us His refresh, not just for New Year’s, but for anytime and all-time.
