Why You Should Quit Your New Year’s Resolutions

Erin Long
2 days ago
3 min read

This message is inspired by Lane Long's sermon on 1/4/2026

Every January, we do the same thing.

We set ambitious goals. We feel motivated. We imagine a better version of ourselves just a few small changes away. And then somewhere between mid-January and early February, real life catches up. Motivation fades. Schedules fill. And the resolutions quietly fall away.

The problem isn’t that we don’t want to change.The problem is how we’re trying to change.

As author James Clear puts it, “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” In other words, lasting transformation doesn’t come from big intentions. It comes from the daily rhythms that shape our lives over time.

Resolutions vs. Rhythms

Resolutions are usually motivation-based. They sound like:

“I’ll read the Bible more this year.”
“I want a better prayer life.”
“I’m going to rest more.”

There’s nothing wrong with these desires. They’re good and holy longings. But when motivation wanes, as it inevitably does, resolutions rarely have anything to hold them up.

Rhythms, on the other hand, are built for endurance.

A rhythm doesn’t ask if something will happen, only when.It combines a cue, repetition, and environment into a sustainable pattern of life.

Instead of “I’ll read the Bible more,” a rhythm sounds like:I read one chapter of Scripture every morning between breakfast and work.

Instead of “I want to pray more,” it becomes:I pray the Lord’s Prayer out loud every day on my commute.

Rhythms move formation out of the realm of good intentions and into the ordinary spaces of everyday life.

The Goal Isn’t Discipline. It’s Abiding.

At City Church, the goal of all these rhythms isn’t self-improvement or spiritual productivity. It’s abiding.

Jesus says in John 15, “Abide in me, and I in you… whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit.” Fruit isn’t something we force. It’s something that grows naturally when we stay connected to the vine.

Change doesn’t happen by trying harder. It happens by staying closer.

That’s why we’ve been talking about forming a rule of life. A set of shared rhythms that help us remain near to Jesus in the midst of real, busy lives. Not to earn God’s love, but to live from it.

As Dallas Willard reminds us, “Grace is not opposed to effort, it’s opposed to earning.”

Three Rhythms That Help Us Abide

Rather than dozens of goals, Scripture invites us into a few faithful practices that shape who we are becoming.

Stop with Sabbath (Weekly) God models rest for us from the very beginning in Genesis 2:2–3 and later commands it, not as a burden, but as a gift in Exodus 20:8. Jesus reminds us that “the Sabbath was made for man” in Mark 2:27.Stopping is the antidote to striving. A weekly Sabbath reorients our hearts back to trust.

Sit with Scripture (Daily) Psalm 1 describes the flourishing life as one rooted in God’s Word. Paul reminds us that Scripture forms and equips us in 2 Timothy 3:16–17.Because Jesus is the Word, it’s impossible to abide in him without regularly sitting with Scripture. Not to check a box, but to remain connected.

Stay in Community (Regularly) From the very beginning, the church devoted itself to life together in Acts 2:42–44. We are told to stir one another toward love and good works in Hebrews 10:24–25.You were never meant to abide alone. Community is not optional. It’s essential to a faithful life.

Build a Trellis, Not a Checklist

Jesus warns that it’s possible to appear fruitful while never truly knowing him in Matthew 7:21–23. The invitation of this season isn’t to add more religious activity.

It’s to connect to the vine and build a trellis that supports a life of abiding.

If resolutions have left you discouraged or weary, maybe this is the year to quit them altogether and embrace rhythms instead.

Not all at once.

Not perfectly.

But faithfully.

Start with one rhythm. Let it become ordinary. And trust that over time, fruit will grow.

Because lasting change doesn’t come from trying harder. It comes from staying closer to Jesus.

Reflection & Discussion Questions

When you think about past New Year’s resolutions, what usually causes them to fade over time?
Which feels more familiar to you: living from motivation or living from rhythm? Why?
How does Jesus’ invitation to “abide” in John 15 reshape the way you think about spiritual growth?
Of the three rhythms shared (Sabbath, Scripture, Community), which one feels most life-giving right now? Which one feels most challenging?
What is one simple rhythm God may be inviting you to begin or renew in this season?