God’s Vision for 2025
As the calendar turns and the world clamors about New Year’s resolutions, we as followers of Christ are invited to a different rhythm. The practice of crafting resolutions often carries with it an unspoken weight: a fixation on self-improvement fueled by human effort. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with setting goals, the reality is that resolutions are seldom kept. By mid-February, the gym memberships lie dormant, the journals gather dust, and we are left with the familiar ache of unmet expectations.
Perhaps the issue is not with our intentions, but with our starting point. What if, instead of striving for change in our strength, we asked a deeper, more soul-centered question: What is God inviting me to release, and what is He calling me to embrace?
The Invitation to Let Go
The act of letting go is not passive; it’s an act of trust. Jesus himself invites us:
“Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
Each of us carries burdens—some of them decades old, others freshly formed in the past year. These burdens might be unconfessed sin, unfulfilled dreams, unforgiveness, or the heavy yoke of self-reliance. Holding onto them, we try to fix, control, or ignore the pain.
Letting go means surrendering these burdens to the One who can carry them. It means opening our hands to release the shame, bitterness, or striving that keeps us bound. As Wayne Dyer would often say, “You cannot always control what goes on outside, but you can always control what goes on inside.” From a Christian lens, this speaks to surrendering our inner chaos to God’s peace.
Letting go is not forgetting, nor is it minimizing. It’s acknowledging that God is sovereign, even over our pain, and trusting that He can redeem the broken pieces.
The Call to Embrace
While letting go clears the soul, embracing God’s vision fills it. Unlike resolutions, which often focus on external achievements, embracing God’s vision is about aligning our hearts with His purpose.
Consider Isaiah 43:19:
“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?”
God is always inviting us into the new. But this newness is less about what we do and more about who we become. John Eldredge beautifully captures this idea in his writing on the restoration of the heart: “The story of your life is the story of the long and brutal assault on your heart by the one who knows what you could be and fears it.”
Embracing God’s vision means stepping into His plans for your restoration. It might be leaning into deeper intimacy with Him, pursuing healing in a relationship, or boldly walking into a calling you’ve avoided. It’s less about striving and more about abiding.
The Contrast to Resolutions
Resolutions often fall short because they are rooted in self-reliance. They focus on fixing external behaviors without addressing the heart. But Jesus reminds us that transformation begins within:
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.” (John 15:4)
Rather than adopting a list of resolutions, consider framing your year around two questions:
1. What burden is God asking me to release?
2. What invitation is God calling me to embrace?
These questions center on dependence on God rather than the illusion of self-sufficiency. They foster a posture of surrender and trust, allowing the Holy Spirit to guide you into real and lasting transformation.
A Prayer for the Year Ahead
Lord, as this new year begins, I choose to release the burdens I’ve carried—those I’ve tried to control, fix, or ignore. I lay them at Your feet, trusting in Your goodness and sovereignty.
I open my heart to Your invitation for 2025. Align my desires with Yours and teach me to walk in step with Your Spirit. May this be a year of letting go, leaning in, and living out the life You’ve called me to.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.