Embracing Renewal: Why I Don’t Make New Year’s Resolutions

Every January, the world erupts with a frenzy of ambition. People flood gyms, buy self-help books in droves, and flood social media feeds with declarations of “new year, new me.”

I see the value in pausing to reflect on where we’ve been and where we’d like to go. However, the overwhelming cultural push to achieve a complete transformation during this single, arbitrarily chosen moment on the calendar feels exhausting.

I’ve never embraced the idea of New Year’s resolutions, and I’m okay with that. Do I respect others who find meaning in them? Absolutely. For me, it’s simply a personal preference.

For years, I struggled to explain why. Is it the stress of setting ambitious goals, only to fall short by February? The subtle message that who I am now isn’t enough? Or is it the implication that lasting change depends solely on my strength?

Although well-intentioned, the pressure to create a “new you” often overlooks a greater truth—one I hold to daily. Transformation doesn’t hinge on my willpower or my determination. Rather, my transformation comes from Christ alone, who has already completed the work, paid the price, and clothed me (and those who Trust in Him) in His righteousness.

Renewal Happens Every Day

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.”  Lamentations 3:22-23

This verse brings such comfort. God doesn’t ration His mercy at the start of a new year. His mercies renew every single morning. I don’t have to wait for January 1 to begin again. Each day invites me to rest in His grace, align my heart with His, and walk in the freedom His love provides.

As believers, we find our identity not in others’ expectations or our personal resolutions but in Christ’s unchanging truth. Jesus has already declared us loved, valued, and worthy. Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 5:17:

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

What a powerful reminder! In Christ, we are new. This isn’t a result of our actions but His finished work. The transformation we desire comes through the Holy Spirit, not our own efforts.

2 Corinthians 5:17

Living Rooted in Grace

When I consider the cultural obsession with self-improvement at the start of the year, I feel grateful that my worth doesn’t hinge on a checklist of goals. Instead of chasing perfection through my strength, I embrace the rhythms of growth and rest that God has woven into creation.

For me, this means living with a renewed perspective each day. I remind myself that my failures or others’ opinions don’t define me. Instead, I rest in the love of the Creator who calls me His own. Galatians 2:20 expresses this beautifully:

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

An Invitation to Cultivate Simplicity

Through Cedar & Sage, my hope is to celebrate a life rooted in faith, nature, and simplicity. This means recognizing that growth doesn’t happen all at once—it’s a process. Like the steady strength of the cedar tree and the healing power of sage, the life God calls us to is one of endurance and renewal, not exhaustion and striving.

So, as we step into this new year, I invite you to join me in letting go of the pressure to reinvent yourself. Instead, let’s embrace the quiet beauty of daily renewal, resting in the truth that we are already deeply loved and wholly enough in Christ.

Here’s to a year (and a lifetime) of growing, resting, and thriving in Him.

With grace,
Bethany