Every December 31st, millions of people with the best intentions in the world make resolutions to change something about themselves over the coming year. If you were one of these, and you’re still on track to make the change, congratulations! Unfortunately, studies show that most people have already given up by February or March.

Why is that, you may wonder. There are seemingly endless articles by psychologists, self-help gurus, life coaches, and others, suggesting that the abandoned goals were actually upended by real-life events, or they were unrealistic from the start, or there was no accountability.

These are all likely possibilities, but I think it’s often simply that we’re quite satisfied with the status quo. The way things are on December 31st may be fairly comfortable, or we’re used to them that way, unlike the changes we’re mulling. As the playwright Arnold Bennett wrote, “Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts.”

Much of our lives are spent on autopilot, and while it’s perfectly natural and normal to crave routine, there’s much to be discovered outside our comfort zones. “We tend to create clutter and remain stagnant when we are doing the same old things,” says life coach Julie Coraccio. “When we begin to see things differently and look around us, we open ourselves up to new possibilities and new opportunities.”

One place that is always a sure source of encouragement toward growth is God’s Word. The Bible has a lot to say about the goodness of change and God’s presence with us every step of the way. Here, for example, you can feel God’s excitement come through as He describes the changes He’s making: “I am creating something new. There it is! Do you see it? I have put roads in deserts, streams in thirsty lands.”1

Whatever changes or choices you face in your life, remember that God loves you. He created you in His infinite love and works in your life for your good, and if you look to His Word, He will offer guidance through uncertain times.

  1. Isaiah 43:19 CEV ↑