Happy New Year!
I started off my exercise regimen this year by dropping a 7-pound weight on my pinky toe.
Stellar move. But. I. Kept. Moving.
Faithfulness is not perfection. It is just keeping showing up and doing the next best right thing.
I don’t know what is going on in your world, but my heart tells me you might be in a similar boat. So this month I am doing a series called “Faithful, Not Frazzled.”
The question for the new year isn’t “How will I be more impressive?” but “How will I be more faithful?”
This New Year let’s be rooted in identity. Who’s with me?
January has a way of asking a quiet but heavy question:
What are you going to do differently this year?
Behind that question often hides another one:
Will I finally measure up?
But Scripture offers us a different starting place.
As we step into a new year, God does not ask us to prove ourselves.
He invites us to abide.
Our culture measures success by visibility, productivity, and comparison.
But the kingdom of God measures fruitfulness by faithfulness.
Before we do anything, we already belong.
“You are in Christ Jesus.” — 1 Corinthians 1:30
This year doesn’t begin with striving—it begins with identity.
We do not chase goals to earn worth; we pursue faithfulness because our worth is already secure.
Faithfulness flows from who we are, not from who we’re trying to become.
As I continue writing Thick Skin, Soft Heart, I’m reminded that a renewed mind is the foundation for a faithful life. When our mindset is anchored in Christ, we are freed from proving, performing, and pretending.
So as you think about this year ahead, consider reframing the question:
Not “How can I be more significant?”
But “How can I be more faithful?”
Scripture Reflection
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
— Romans 12:2
“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”
— Colossians 3:2
Take time this week to invite God to reshape how you think about success, growth, and faithfulness.
Reflection Questions
- Where have I felt pressure to prove myself as the new year begins?
- What would it look like to live from my identity in Christ rather than striving for approval?
- How might faithfulness—not significance—shape my goals this year?
🙏 Closing Prayer
Lord, as this new year begins, free us from the pressure to prove ourselves. Renew our minds with Your truth and anchor our hearts in who we are in Christ. Teach us to walk faithfully, not fearfully, and to live from our identity rather than striving for approval. May this year be shaped by Your presence and not by performance. Amen.
Visit the ShameRx Blog for When Our Humanity Feels Like a Liability
All for Jesus,
Denise