A New Year’s Resolution Worth Keeping
Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23) He wasn’t speaking to scholars or saints alone. He was speaking to fishermen, tax collectors, and people like you and me. Ordinary people. All called to an extraordinary life.
The New Year is here, and resolutions pile up like snow in winter. Lose weight. Work harder. Be kinder. These are fine goals. But Jesus calls us to something deeper, something harder, and something better. He calls us to deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow Him.
Deny Yourself
To deny yourself is not to give up desserts or skip coffee. It’s not about small sacrifices that cost little. Denying yourself means stepping off the throne of your life and putting Jesus there instead.
Our culture says, “Indulge yourself.” Jesus says, “Forget yourself.” The world whispers, “You deserve this.” Jesus says, “Take up your cross.”
Think of Paul, who said, “Whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.” He let it all go: his reputation, his comforts, his life. He called it all rubbish compared to knowing Jesus.
This is what it means to deny yourself. It is not about what you lose; it is about what you gain. You gain Christ. You gain freedom. You gain a life that matters.
Take Up Your Cross
A cross is heavy. It doesn’t glitter. It doesn’t shine. It kills.
When Jesus told His disciples to take up their crosses, they knew what He meant. They had seen men stumble down roads with wooden beams on their backs. They had seen those men nailed to those beams and left to die.
Taking up your cross is not about enduring small annoyances or tolerating hard days. It is about dying. Dying to sin. Dying to pride. Dying to your way, your plans, your life.
It hurts to take up your cross. But it heals, too. Joni Eareckson Tada, who has lived more pain than most, said, “The cross is the place where you die to sin and live to God.”
What is your cross this year? What sin must you leave behind? What selfish dream must you lay down? Look at the Savior who carried His cross for you and ask for the strength to carry yours for Him.
Follow Him
Following Jesus is not a one-time decision. It is a daily walk. Some days the road is smooth. Some days it winds through valleys of shadow and death. But Jesus walks ahead of us. We follow in His steps.
To follow Him means to trust Him. Like a child in a crowded room who clings to their father’s hand, we trust Him to lead us, even when we don’t know where the road will go.
To follow Him means to obey Him. His Word is clear. His commands are good. He tells us how to live, and we listen because we are His sheep, and He is our Shepherd.
The Best Resolution
Most resolutions are about becoming better versions of ourselves. Jesus calls us to leave ourselves behind. To lose our lives so we can find them. To die so we can live.
This year, resolve to deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Him. Not because it will make you feel better, but because it is the way to real life. Not because it is easy, but because it is good.
And remember this: You don’t walk this road alone. Jesus walked it first. He denied Himself for you. He took up His cross for you. He died so you could live.
His strength will carry you. His grace will sustain you. When you stumble, He will lift you up.
So go ahead, make this your resolution. Follow Him. It will cost you everything. But it will give you more than you ever dreamed.